The Legend of Red Cloud - Chapter 32

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 32. A Friend
Yi Myeong answered Hui Jun’s question with an awkward expression.
“Well… there were certain circumstances that warranted it.”
Instead of a direct answer, he’d used the vague word “circumstances.”
Given the relationship between Yi Myeong and Hui Jun, this was unusual.
The two of them were the sort who shared even their deepest secrets.
Yet if he’d said “circumstances” rather than giving a precise reason, it must be a matter difficult to disclose to outsiders.
Since something similar had happened to the Red Sand Squad, Hui Jun simply nodded without pressing further.
“I see. So how much time’s left?”
“Today’s the fourth day, so there’s twelve days remaining.”
A fortnight total.
Compared to the two months imposed on the Red Sand Squad, it was far shorter, but by ordinary standards it was hardly a lenient Military Discipline Order.
That meant whatever the underlying violation was, it wasn’t something trivial.
But Hui Jun didn’t press any further.
From Yi Myeong’s answer alone, he’d already gathered that this was a matter not easily shared with others.
“I envy you. We’re only just beginning.”
“How long do you have to serve?”
“Two months.”
“Two, two months!”
Yi Myeong’s surprise drew a smile from Hui Jun.
“Yeah. Seems like a long time, doesn’t it?”
“I… I suppose it does…….”
Yi Myeong couldn’t help but be taken aback.
Even the fortnight they’d received was a considerably long Military Discipline Order, but two months—
An order lasting that long left no question about the gravity of the offense.
Knowing that, Yi Myeong’s shock was entirely warranted.
Hui Jun, reading the thoughts behind that shock, simply offered a small smile.
“Well then, we’ll be seeing each other often during the time remaining.”
“I… I suppose we will?”
“Yes. We’ll see each other soon.”
“Hmm?”
“Aren’t your companions waiting for you over there?”
“Oh! Right, yes. Then we should go. See you later.”
“Take care.”
As Hui Jun waved them off, Yi Myeong turned to rejoin his group, and the Yellow Mountain Squad members hurried from the restaurant.
Since their awkward guest had essentially told them to leave, there was no reason to linger.
As Yi Myeong and the others of the Yellow Mountain Squad departed—almost as if fleeing—Yi Song turned to Hui Jun with a question.
“What sort of person was he?”
“Who? Yi Myeong?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm… I’d say he’s thoughtful? A friend with considerable depth of thought.”
“A man of considerable thought, you say…….”
“Yes. He’s certainly not the sort to act rashly in any matter.”
As Yi Song pondered something intently at Hui Jun’s observation, the younger man posed a question.
“Is there some kind of problem, do you think?”
“Hard to say. But a two-week Military Discipline Order is typically imposed for what we call a Military Conduct Violation.”
“A Military Conduct Violation?”
Hui Jun was puzzled why Yi Song would speak of military discipline when they weren’t an army, and Yi Song explained.
“When the Oath Brotherhood speaks of a Military Conduct Violation, it usually means insubordination to orders, or having smuggled something out externally.”
That members of the Yellow Mountain Squad—merchants’ sons at that—would disobey orders was virtually impossible.
Which left only one alternative.
And if that connected to the Yellow Mountain Squad’s particular role…….
“Good heavens!”
Yi Song spoke to Hui Jun, who had gasped in alarm.
“It would mean they smuggled out supply materials. Though of course, that wouldn’t be something they did themselves.”
It was inconceivable that merchants’ sons would commit such an act.
Not because they lacked the ability, but because no one would place them in a position where such a thing were possible.
One’s origins were something that often operated independent of one’s actual competence, and the Yellow Mountain Squad was a place where that was particularly pronounced.
Which meant…….
“You’re suggesting they were falsely accused?”
At Hui Jun’s startled question, Yi Song nodded.
“It’s possible because it’s the Yellow Mountain Squad, not somewhere else. Likely some powerful people dumped their own wrongdoing onto him.”
Of course, the quantity and importance of the diverted supplies probably weren’t that significant.
Otherwise it wouldn’t have ended with just a Military Discipline Order.
“Who would do such a thing!”
At Hui Jun’s angry words, Jang Min Su spoke up.
“I’d bet anything it’s the Gangbuk Merchant Union.”
The Gangbuk Merchant Union.
It was the shortened name for the merchant coalition of Gangbuk.
But contrary to that name, the Gangbuk Merchant Union wasn’t a coalition of all Gangbuk merchants.
They were a coalition of Money Exchanges and Escort Services.
In other words, “Gangbuk Money Exchange and Escort Service Coalition” was their proper title.
There was a time when someone running a small merchant house had openly grumbled that they ought to be called by that name instead.
After that day, his merchant house couldn’t use a single Money Exchange or Escort Service in Gangbuk.
If a merchant house couldn’t use Escort Services or Money Exchanges… they were finished.
They couldn’t help but collapse.
They couldn’t secure credit, couldn’t safely send goods elsewhere, and had no way to purchase from other places.
After that incident, no one raised objections about the Gangbuk Merchant Union’s name anymore.
There simply wasn’t a merchant in Gangbuk with that kind of audacity.
So the Gangbuk Merchant Union remained the Gangbuk Merchant Union, then and now.
In any case, because they didn’t hesitate to employ underhanded methods when they needed or wanted something, the Gangbuk Merchant Union had earned considerable resentment and made no shortage of enemies.
So much so that some merchant houses had relocated to Gangnam just to escape them.
But those without the means to relocate swallowed their dislike of the Gangbuk Merchant Union’s methods and adapted their ways to suit the Union’s behavior.
Finding what comfort they could in the thought that the hardship of the powerless was much the same everywhere.
And it was precisely to the Yellow Mountain Squad that people from the Gangbuk Merchant Union had been assigned.
So when someone suggested that their crime had been foisted onto Hui Jun, it made sense that Jang Min Su would name the Gangbuk Merchant Union first.
But to Jang Min Su’s words, Yi Song shook his head.
“It won’t be the Gangbuk Merchant Union. While they turn ruthless for profit, they don’t steal from others. If they did, no merchant house would trust them with money or goods.”
Credit.
That was it.
Though the Gangbuk Merchant Union’s dealings could be somewhat forceful and calculated, they never broke their word.
The moment their credit collapsed, the Gangbuk Merchant Union would cease to exist.
At Yi Song’s words, Hui Jun asked with a puzzled expression.
“Then who could it be?”
“There are a few other places in the Yellow Mountain Squad with influence nearly as strong as the Gangbuk Merchant Union.”
After a moment’s thought at Yi Song’s words, Hui Jun ventured carefully.
“Could it possibly be the Changjiang Rice Merchant Association?”
At Hui Jun’s words, Yi Song nodded slowly.
“A place with plenty of incidents and troubles.”
Among countless merchant houses, the field most rife with underhanded and illicit practices was the rice trade—the merchant houses dealing in grain.
Ironically, the entity handling the most rice wasn’t a private merchant house but the state itself—the government.
This was because of the existence of Tax Rice, the grain paid as taxes.
Because of this, merchant houses dealing in rice maintained exceptionally close ties with the government.
And such close ties were firmly connected to the corruption deeply rooted in officialdom.
For this reason, rice merchants were more adept at underhanded methods than any other traders.
If needed, they could even fabricate non-existent crimes and thoroughly ruin an opponent.
And among such rice merchants, the largest in Gangbuk was the Changjiang Rice Merchant Association.
Said to handle fifty percent of all rice traded in Gangbuk, their scale was beyond question.
The Changjiang Rice Merchant Association supplied most of the military provisions consumed by the Oath Brotherhood.
Naturally, their influence within the Oath Brotherhood was strong, and their voice carried weight.
“Then could they have…?”
At Hui Jun’s question, Yi Song shrugged.
“It’s possible. But I can’t say for certain it was them. You understand—the Hwangbo Family’s influence also runs deep in the Yellow Mountain Squad.”
“You mean it could be the Hwangbo Family instead?”
“A Military Discipline Order is recorded. It follows them wherever they go. Even if they were minor merchant house scions, if they were to suffer such harm in silence, it would require considerable power behind it.”
“Hmm….”
At Yi Song’s explanation, Hui Jun couldn’t help but let out a low whistle.
Yi Song continued to Hui Jun.
“But don’t get involved. When those people came forward to accept the consequences, they’d already settled their calculations. Merchant house logic has corners we ordinary folk find hard to grasp.”

“I understand. Don’t worry. Honestly, even if I wanted to step forward, I don’t have the ability to do so.”
Dong Pil caught the deep self-reproach flickering across Hui Jun’s face as he scratched the back of his head, and broke in abruptly.
“What do you mean you don’t have the ability? When we go on missions, who do we trust? Who moves without hesitation? That’s all because we trust you. The Red Sand Squad trusts your skill enough to bet our lives on it—that’s what I’m saying. So have confidence in yourself.”
“Dong Pil speaks truly. When it comes to your abilities, you should feel confident.”
Even Yi Song added his voice, but the hint of self-doubt lingering in Hui Jun’s expression didn’t fully fade.
“I’m not nearly as skilled as you’re suggesting. Even if I were, it’s only a small thing—the Medical Arts.”
“It’s not small at all!”
Dong Pil’s voice came out blunt and direct again, and Yi Song continued.
“That’s right. Your Medical Arts are far from something so trivial that anyone could dismiss them. If they were, what would that make us, trusting in you alone as we head into danger?”
“I—I didn’t mean it that way. My apologies.”
“You have nothing to apologize for. I know you didn’t mean it in that sense. I’m simply saying you should understand two things: that your Medical Arts are skilled enough for you to hold confidence in yourself, and that there’s nothing we wouldn’t do for someone like you.”
Those were grateful words.
And truthfully, Hui Jun would do anything for the Red Sand Squad members.
So he wouldn’t speak thanks aloud.
He simply scratched the back of his head as he always did, breaking into a bright smile.
Jang Min Su, who had been watching Hui Jun intently, spoke up suddenly.
“Are you going to meddle?”
“Pardon?”
“That friend of yours—Yi Myeong, was it? The second son of the Poyang Merchant Company?”
“Well, if he’s truly suffering an injustice…….”
“As Yi Song said, the reckoning between them may already be settled.”
“But that reckoning wouldn’t be in Yi Myeong’s favor, would it?”
To Hui Jun’s question, Jang Min Su, Yi Song, and the other Red Sand Squad members all fell silent.
In that silence, Ryu’s voice emerged.
“So what exactly do you want to do?”
“I want to help him.”
“Why?”
“Because he’s my friend.”
You help a friend because they’re a friend.
It’s a simple truth, yet in reality it isn’t always so straightforward.
Especially not in the current Jianghu, where interests were tangled together like a chaotic knot.
And yet…….
“Right. I asked the wrong question. You help because he’s your friend. That’s how it should be.”
At the end of those words, Ryu’s gaze settled on Jang Min Su, who nodded in return.
“I’ll look into the exact circumstances.”
“If needed, you may use the Constabulary as well.”
At Ryu’s words, the eyes of Jang Min Su and the other Red Sand Squad members widened.
Ryu, who despised being indebted to anyone more than death itself, had just suggested accepting help from another first.
But the surprise that had arisen vanished in an instant as they saw the soft gaze Ryu turned toward Hui Jun.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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