Chapter 43
Chapter 43
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 43
Chapter Title: Fair Punishment
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Nangong Baek's brow kept twitching.
'Is this bastard putting on airs right now?'
Or maybe he had no clue what punishment from the Disciplinary Hall even meant.
Otherwise, there was no way he could wear such a relaxed expression.
"It's nothing much? Do you think this is some playground? Don't you know how serious this is?"
"I wouldn't know. So what's the punishment?"
"......"
"They're destroying my dantian? Or maybe severing my meridians? Oh, or locking me on some deserted island for three months?"
......What the hell is this guy saying?
The elders stared blankly as they listened to Nangong Hyeok's words.
Was he seriously thinking those were possible punishments?
Nangong Hyeok continued indifferently.
"If it's something like drying us out in the blazing sun, I could handle that too. Want me to give it a try?"
Nangong Hyeok scratched his head and glanced at Nangong Baek.
'Is this bastard mocking me!'
Otherwise, there was no way he'd spout such nonsense.
"You punk! I told you this isn't a place for games!"
"I'm serious."
Nangong Hyeok's expression didn't change at Nangong Baek's threat.
He just smirked with that same apathetic, annoyed look.
Nangong Baek's eyebrow twitched at Nangong Hyeok's fearless attitude.
The elders' gazes slowly turned toward Nangong Hyeok.
Breaking the silence, Nangong Hyeok spoke up.
"Anyway, if you're punishing us, fine. But it has to be fair, right?"
"What nonsense is this?"
"If the Thunder Dragon Squad gets punished, the Black Tortoise Squad should get punished properly too. Isn't that fair?"
Nangong Hyeok shrugged.
"The Black Tortoise Squad started the provocation, and their squad leader struck the Thunder Dragon Squad leader first. You need two hands to clap, don't you?"
Nangong Baek's brow furrowed, then his lips twisted.
"Playing word games to muddy the issue again! We're talking about punishing the responsible parties, not the Thunder Dragon Squad!"
"Oh."
"Oh?"
"The responsible parties get punished?"
"That's right."
Just as a faint smile crept onto Nangong Baek's lips, seeing the conversation finally nearing its end.
Nangong Hyeok asked with genuine curiosity.
"Then who's responsible for the Black Tortoise Squad?"
"The Black Tortoise Squad leader."
"And above him?"
The elders' heads slowly turned to one side as their gazes flew like arrows.
That would be......
'......Nangong Baek, the elder?'
'Nangong Baek.'
'Isn't Elder Nangong managing the Black Tortoise Squad?'
'If we're holding the responsible party accountable......'
The elders' faces began to twist in strange ways.
Feeling the elders' arrow-like stares piercing him, Nangong Baek clamped his mouth shut.
His face flushed beet red, as if steam might pour out.
Nangong Hyeok chuckled.
"Then punish all the responsible parties. Fairly. We're the righteous Nangong Family, aren't we!"
Kuh, he's killing it.
How could the righteous Nangong Family beat just one side?
If you're going to beat, beat them together.
'Bet he's fuming.'
Nangong Hyeok grinned at Nangong Baek, his lips twitching.
Tremble, tremble.
Grinding his molars, Nangong Baek glared at Nangong Hyeok.
"You......"
Nangong Hyeok whipped his gaze away and turned toward Nangong Wigyeong.
"Anyway, we're from different squads, and it was just a minor scuffle from some trash talk. Why blow it up? How about we just let the leaders handle disciplining their own subordinates?"
Emphasizing "leaders," Nangong Hyeok grinned, shutting Nangong Baek up.
"That's......"
"No, but seriously, punishing the Thunder Dragon Squad—has that ever improved them? Wouldn't it be better if I just discipline them myself?"
......That's true.
The Thunder Dragon Squad aren't the type to cower from punishment.
The elders nodded unconsciously.
Nangong Wigyeong let out a hollow laugh.
Wasn't he toying with Nangong Baek, manipulating the whole situation?
"Fine, I'm in favor of that. What do you all think?"
"Hmm! I agree."
"Let's do that. No good comes from escalating it."
Nangong Wigyeong looked at Nangong Jangcheon.
"Family Head, what do you think?"
"......"
"Family Head?"
At the second call, Nangong Jangcheon lowered his hand from his mouth and gazed indifferently at Nangong Hyeok.
Twitch, twitch.
Barely suppressing his trembling lips, he spoke.
"Do as the elders say."
Nangong Wigyeong nodded firmly and declared.
"Then we'll end this matter here......"
"Ah, hold on."
Just as he tried to close the case, Nangong Hyeok cut in.
As people turned puzzled looks at him, Nangong Hyeok said with a serious face.
"The Black Tortoise Squad insulted my subordinates right in front of me. What about that?"
Nangong Wigyeong's head snapped up.
Insulting subordinates in front of their superior was no different from insulting the superior himself.
"Is that true?"
"No way those lunatics would!"
The elders were outraged.
Grinning, Nangong Hyeok spilled the details.
"Yes! Those scumbags did it right in front of me, didn't they? Oh, and they didn't even greet me properly."
"......Ah."
"You have to investigate this properly!"
Nangong Hyeok turned to Nangong Baek and flashed a grin.
"Then I'll be off."
The elders stared blankly as Nangong Hyeok hummed and walked away.
"Huh, heh."
"Hmm!"
Awkward coughs and hollow laughs filled the Grand Hall.
Crunch.
Nangong Baek glared murderously at the vanishing dot of Nangong Hyeok, his face rotting with fury.
* * *
Clang!
"Come out."
Hearing the voice from outside the prison cell, Geon Cheon-hwi looked up.
"Huh? Already off to get punished?"
The guard shook his head.
"They said to release you. Get out!"
"What?"
It was a massive brawl involving other squads, weapon use, and even severe injuries.
From his past stints in prison, he knew it was way too early for release. So this was baffling.
No punishment at all?
At minimum, a year of confinement, a year's pay cut, or if unlucky, demotion to hauling luggage for the escort agency......
"Krrgh! Sniff, is food here?"
Beside him, Tak Hyeok-dong, sprawled out happily snoring, wiped drool from his mouth and sat up.
"They said come out?"
"......Huh, out? For a beating?"
"No, just go."
"Huh? What? Where?"
Tak Hyeok-dong's eyes went wide. He looked just as confused.
What the hell was going on?
Perplexed, Geon Cheon-hwi stepped out of the prison.
Ascending the stairs from the dim underground.
Stomp, stomp.
A group was descending the stairs toward the underground.
Torchlight revealed their identities.
"......?"
Black Tortoise Squad leader?
Geon Cheon-hwi's jaw dropped at the sight of the Black Tortoise Squad, bound in ropes and filing down one after another.
In that instant, the descending Black Tortoise Squad leader's eyes met the ascending Geon Cheon-hwi's in midair.
Geon Cheon-hwi blinked.
"......What's all this?"
"How should I know?"
Stunned, they emerged outside to blinding sunlight.
Geon Cheon-hwi squinted, then flinched.
"Could this be?"
As Tak Hyeok-dong blinked vacantly, Jang Woong rushed over and whispered.
"That's what I think too. Who else but the Young Master would get us out? Right, Big Bro?"
"......"
"Isn't it touching? He got us out unscathed, and it looks like we've got solid backing."
Jang Woong chuckled, then tilted his head.
"Big Bro, you okay? You don't look well."
"......"
"Haha! But man, connections really are everything. I get why people go crazy grabbing one. Now that I've got this line, I see! Haha, right?"
Smack!
"Keh, ack! Why hit me out of nowhere!"
"......We're hooked, you idiot."
"Huh?"
"Hooked through the nose by the Young Master...... Properly."
Ah, the peace of ignorance.
The free life.
Even his resolve to escape someday flew away like the wind.
Geon Cheon-hwi hung his head.
"......Let's go."
"Where to?"
"Gotta give thanks. Sigh."
Geon Cheon-hwi had a strong premonition he'd never escape the Young Master.
As the Thunder Dragon Squad trudged along in a daze.
A guard's voice called from behind.
"Ah! Right."
What? This unease?
Feeling an inexplicable dread, Geon Cheon-hwi turned.
The guard brushed off dust casually.
"Your punishment's to be handled by the Young Master himself."
"......What?"
"That's what they decided up top."
"Wait. The Young Master's punishing us?"
Why the Young Master?
Why punish at all?
"Why keep asking? They decided up top......"
"No, no. There must be a mistake! Send me back to prison."
"Why are you doing this?! Go, just go!"
"I won't accept this! I'll gladly take my punishment in prison! Prison's more comfortable for me. This is the Disciplinary Hall shirking duty—shirking duty!"
Geon Cheon-hwi wailed, and the Thunder Dragon Squad grabbed the guard's pant leg with bloodshot eyes.
"Please let us in."
"Back to prison!"
"Pleeease!"
They clung to the guard's leg as he descended, shouting.
"Ah, what the hell! Are you crazy?! G-Get off!"
* * *
The Thunder Dragon Squad slouched with downcast heads, eyes darting nervously ahead.
Tap. Tap.
Each time Nangong Hyeok's foot, crossed over his leg, tapped, the squad flinched like they'd been struck.
"Ahem, trip go well?"
Gulp.
Every member's throat bobbed loudly.
The startled Geon Cheon-hwi stealthily raised his head.
Geon Cheon-hwi's face was awkward.
"......Th-thanks to you, we got out safely."
"Good."
"......Thank you."
"I pulled some strings since the outcome was good."
"Huh? What outcome......?"
"The whole Black Tortoise Squad carted off to the medical hall—that's a win."
Geon Cheon-hwi's eyes widened at Nangong Hyeok's words.
Nangong Hyeok's outlandish mindset was never easy to grasp.
'That's not the point right now.'
Geon Cheon-hwi swallowed dryly.
There was still a mountain to climb.
"Young Master, we heard you're handling our punishment. Could we know what it is?"
Geon Cheon-hwi glanced at Nangong Hyeok's mood repeatedly after speaking.
Nangong Hyeok plucked skewers from the plate and tilted his head.
"Punishment? Oh, your punishment."
"......Yes."
"Just do what you normally do. What more?"
"Oh."
Right.
That's no way to treat people.
......Am I already used to it? Forgot.
Geon Cheon-hwi and the squad exchanged pitiful looks.
Nangong Hyeok furrowed his brow.
"You lot thinking 'punishment' means a break?"
"......No way."
"No way my ass. In the Nangong Family, punishment's just a few days in prison or house arrest! That's not punishment—that's vacation!"
"......"
"Hey, even Shaolin baldies get excommunicated, meridians severed, dantians shattered for crimes. But the Nangong Family calls this punishment? Weaker than monks—that's why trash like you pop up. Ugh, ugh!"
Relieved yet insulted by Nangong Hyeok's rant, the squad felt a bizarre mix of emotions.
"These days' kids. Sigh, tsk tsk."
Nangong Hyeok's tongue-clicking echoed softly in the courtyard.
"But anyway, work's work."
"......"
"Training starts."
"......Yes."
The Thunder Dragon Squad's shoulders slumped.
'Should we just cause trouble and get thrown in prison?'
The thought crossed everyone's mind.