The Hwangbo Clan’s Beloved Live-In Son-in-Law - Chapter 91
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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 91
It’s their hardship, not mine.
Most are dragged here against their will, but sometimes there are those who voluntarily enter the army.
Usually they’re lower-ranking children of prestigious families, and occasionally there were those who talked about seeing the end of martial arts or whatnot.
Most died, and a few ran away.
Just like any other ignorant common folk.
“It’s not like I need to stop you. Your life, you live it.”
After intense movement, it’s always necessary to loosen up.
Xie Baowei twisted his body this way and that as he answered.
Still, thanks to Akmungi, his body doesn’t stiffen up.
Under Hee-mae’s threats, he does run and roll around regularly every day, but nothing beats real combat for getting body movements ingrained.
It’s not for nothing that the Hwangbo Family requires Chentabeipa even from their most precious children.
Akmungi, who would normally be loosening up alongside him, just stood there blankly.
Xie Baowei ignored him and stretched his body with deliberate movements.
It was the Five Elements Fist, one of the Hwangbo Family’s basic techniques.
The slow movements focused more on loosening and stretching the body rather than winning fights.
Even this could and should be used according to the situation – that was the essence of the Eighteen Perfections of Mount Tai.
Even the simple act of kicking a stone could become an excellent kick if used in the right situation at the right moment.
So at least when training begins, one should focus on even small movements…
Huh. Focus on…
“Don’t just stand there blankly, loosen up your body.”
“Oh my. What’s gotten into our stubborn brother today?”
Just then, Dangyeonhwa came out after washing, wrapping her wet hair with a cloth.
With the warmth circulating in her cheeks making them red, she looked even more childlike.
It was just amusing to see such a person teasing someone else.
Normally Akmungi would have smiled fondly at Dangyeonhwa’s appearance, but today was a little different.
“…I want to become stronger.”
“Oh my.”
After a moment of silence, Akmungi spoke quietly. It was a statement filled with firm resolve.
Thud. Xie Baowei’s body stopped for a moment, then moved again as if he hadn’t heard those words.
“I want to become stronger. Like the squad leader, like Sangseunghaeseop, like Brother Munheon. No, even stronger than that.”
“Wait about 10 years. By then you’ll be stronger. We’ll be old, and you’ll be in your prime.”
“That kind of way is…”
Geez, really.
Xie Baowei shook his head. His body faithfully followed the forms.
Sweat dripped steadily to the floor.
Even after doing this for a while, Akmungi remained motionless. Though he had a personality that wasn’t easily swayed, he seemed to have a lot on his mind.
“Why.”
“Pardon?”
“Why do you want to become stronger?”
“Do I need a reason?”
Haah.
Xie Baowei’s body stopped.
Still, this was enough loosening up.
Xie Baowei’s eyes turned toward Akmungi.
Dangyeonhwa threw him a cloth.
The girl’s eyes sparkled. She seemed to find it interesting. Or perhaps she too was curious about Xie Baowei’s answer.
Xie Baowei roughly wiped his hair.
“Ten years ago, I was just an herb gatherer. Even now I’m not particularly strong.”
“At least you’re stronger than me. Strong enough to match hands with Sangseunghaeseop, strong enough to catch Tougui.”
“Have you seen the Mengzhu? Tougui… Tougui was just good luck. Sangseunghaeseop? What about Byeogoi Ildaejoo, called the dragon of the Southern Dragon Alliance?”
There are many strong people in the world.
People chatter about being the best in the Central Plains or the five great masters, but you can’t know for sure without crossing swords.
Was strength ever absolute to begin with?
The people of Gangho seemed to aspire to such things, but for Xie Baowei, it was still a difficult concept to understand.
Tougui… Tougui was strong.
The Mengzhu. The Mengzhu was also strong. His sword strikes made one’s spine chill even from a distance.
Even against the Hwangbo Family’s Broken Sword (Hwangbo Yeonhwi) or Thunder Blade (Hwangbo Yeontak), victory would be hard to guarantee.
It was that constant mindset peculiar to those called warriors.
Those who pursued power like demons never tired, even as they aged or sat in high positions.
Look at Grandfather (Hwangbo Seungjeong).
Even while receiving daily moxibustion and acupuncture, he had never missed his morning and evening training.
Even so, somehow.
In Xie Baowei’s opinion, what was truly strong was something else.
“Those with reasons tend to be stronger.”
“Pardon?”
“Whether it’s revenge or protection, whatever – the desperate ones are stronger and become stronger. At least that’s what I’ve observed.”
After wiping his hair and face, the cloth quickly became soaked.
He roughly wiped his neck and limbs before hanging it around his neck.
Though it was hard for him to understand what this young man was pursuing, he could see that the light in his eyes was earnest.
He might become stronger than himself someday.
“Was it the same for you, squad leader?”
“…Yes.”
Xie Baowei nodded heavily.
With that brief nod, old memories came flooding back.
It had been a life of haphazardly running away from home and being sold around as a slave, bandit, and arrow fodder.
At the end of it were enemy soldiers and curses that gnawed at life.
If he didn’t become strong, he couldn’t survive, and to survive, he had to become strong.
Xie Baowei survived through countless life-threatening crises.
Sometimes it was so brutal he considered dying, but one name etched in his mind, one scene, one face.
All those ‘ones’ were the same, so he lived.
It was a single-minded obsession.
He would see Hee-mae again.
“Let’s sleep now. Tomorrow, we’ll reach Nanjing.”
Nanjing was right before their eyes.
.
.
.
Nanjing was the empire’s secondary capital.
Also called Jinling, it was known as Yingtianfu and encompassed Anhui, Jiangsu, and Shanghai County, collectively called Nanjili.
It was so wealthy that there was a saying: ‘All the money in the world is in Jiangnan, and all the money in Jiangnan gathers in Nanjing.’ It was also famous as a center for various handicrafts like silk, rice, porcelain, and paper.
If Beidili was the magnificent fortress protecting the empire, then Nanjili was the empire’s heart and purse—a splendid, enormous, and glittering second city of the empire.
“…How grand.”
Xie Baowei raised his head to look up at the towering fortress walls.
Even turning his head left and right, he couldn’t see the end of the walls, and a long line stretched beneath them.
Even though people were queuing to enter the city, it wasn’t boring.
Just watching the approaching walls was enough to pass the time.
“First time seeing city walls, huh.”
“…Close your mouth first before speaking.”
Though Dangyeonhwa grumbled, she too seemed somewhat overwhelmed.
Sichuan’s Chengdu boasted of being large, but it couldn’t compare to Nanjing.
This place was, how to put it, on a different level.
“Be careful with your behavior.”
“Yes.”
Xie Baowei and his group passed through the city gates without incident.
The guards on duty inspected the numerous visitors one by one.
The long lines were also due to this, though they said inspections weren’t usually this thorough.
Warriors like Xie Baowei especially underwent stricter examinations.
Fortunately, the group had wrapped their blades so they weren’t visible and didn’t get into much trouble, but those who entered carelessly had their weapons confiscated or were turned away.
“Hey, hey! Catch that bastard! Those rebel scum!”
Of course, there were fools like that stupid Chi who couldn’t abandon their martial arts world habits and acted arrogantly, but there weren’t any bold enough to actually harm the imperial army.
Some who only insisted on their pride ended up surrounded by spears and swords, then arrested and dragged to the government office.
They were lawless fools.
“Idiots.”
Dangyeonhwa, who had been singing about how boring things were just moments before, sneered at the commotion behind them.
Xie Baowei shook his head once and sighed again.
“…Now, where should we go?”
It truly was a sight that warranted a sigh.
The moment they crossed the city gates, even the weight of the air changed.
As soon as they passed through the massive barbican and set foot inside the city, what greeted Xie Baowei’s group was an endlessly stretching stone-paved road and waves of crowds filling it.
“…Is this a street?”
Dangyeonhwa’s jaw dropped.
Even Chengdu’s most bustling street seemed like it wouldn’t match this place’s back alleys.
The main road was wide enough for dozens of carriages to pass simultaneously, with elegant three and four-story pavilions lined up seamlessly on both sides.
Colorful shop banners hanging from each store’s eaves fluttered in the river breeze, dizzying the sight.
The road soon met the Jinhuihe, a canal that cut through the city.
On the river, gorgeous pleasure boats with silk canopies and cargo vessels loaded with goods constantly came and went.
Across the river stood the zhulou and gifang they had only heard about in rumors, and despite it being broad daylight, the powder scents and gentle string music flowing from there rode the river breeze to tickle their noses.
Most striking of all were the people.
Among porters in shabby hemp clothes, wealthy merchants draped in the finest Nanjing silk that gleamed in the sunlight strutted past with airs.
Occasionally visible officials rode in palanquins attended by dozens of servants, clearing the way, while blue-eyed foreign merchants bustled about between them, creating a truly melting pot-like scene.
“…Let’s head to the branch office first.”
“Where is that?”
“We’ll have to find it now.”
“Huh?”
Don’t you see what we’re dealing with here?
Xie Baowei started walking aimlessly.
He figured it would probably be in the commercial district.
However, he couldn’t even tell where this commercial district was. There were people everywhere he went, so where on earth should they head?
As he was pushed and jostled by the crowds, staring blankly into space for a moment.
“Oh. Over there.”
Suddenly, the crowd parted.
Fine silk robes layered upon each other as people pushed against one another.
In an instant, Xie Baowei grabbed Dangyeonhwa and Akmungi, pulling them behind him, then lowered his center of gravity and braced himself.
Like overflowing water bypassing a great tree, the crowd brushed past and around them.
Through the space where they had been pushed aside, a golden, gleaming palanquin passed.
The large palanquin, carried by more than sixteen bearers, looked like it could accommodate several people without issue.
The palanquin was carved with red leaf patterns and phoenix decorations, and seeing these gave a sense of their status.
A phoenix palanquin.
Unless it was the Empress herself, no one would dare carve such patterns.
…How long had it been since the Empress passed away?
-Has Noble Consort Rong already arrived?
-Probably not? His Majesty was so reluctant to be separated from her. She’ll probably come right on schedule.
-Then who’s that?
-Probably Lord Jinsong is riding in it.
Whispered conversations could be heard from around them.
From beneath the bowed heads of everyone, Xie Baowei slightly raised his head to check the palanquin procession.
By rough estimate, there were over forty people in the entourage.
At the end of the procession, one of the passing men made eye contact with Xie Baowei.
His eyes gleamed.
“What? Do you know each other?”
Dangyeonhwa peeked her head out from behind Xie Baowei’s back, looking around curiously, and asked him when she spotted the man.
The palanquin procession moved away and the crowd quickly mixed together.
The man’s face appeared and disappeared among the people passing by.
Still youthful features, the eyes of someone becoming a young man endlessly followed Xie Baowei.
Xie Baowei nodded his head.
It seemed this matter wouldn’t pass quietly either.
“Yeah. Namgung So. A young, ill-mannered brat.”
“Eh? From Heavenly Sword Hall? The one our Three Absolutes beat up?”
“Ahem. What are you saying. I was giving guidance to a young man.”
Ahem.
Xie Baowei shrugged his shoulders.
Akmungi patted Xie Baowei’s shoulder repeatedly.
“Who is better?”
His eyes gleamed.
Probably. It would be difficult to fall asleep easily tonight as well.
Xie Baowei shook his head.
“…First, let’s find lodging. Okay?”
People began gathering in Nanjing.
This was exactly one month before Yongbi (Gong Yurlan), the imperial consort favored by the Emperor, would come to Nanjing Palace with her five-year-old son, King of Zhou, for her birthday celebration.
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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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