Chapter 54
Chapter 54
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: Return to Silver Shadow Horse Gang
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Namgung Hyeok and the Thunder Dragon Squad entered the Silver Shadow Horse Gang.
Ninety purebred horses followed behind, snorting roughly and strutting proudly.
The faces of the Silver Shadow Horse Gang members waiting at the main gate lit up with overwhelming emotion.
In particular, waves of感動 washed over Stable Master Sang Manchu's face.
"Young Master!"
He could see the lost purebreds.
How great had been the sense of loss and worry when he'd lost the horses he'd raised like his own children!
And now, those horses were returning under the lead of the Namgung family's second young master.
His expression couldn't help but surge with agitation.
Wang Pil looked at Sang Manchu with a tearful face.
"Master, the horses! Our horses are back!"
"Yes, I see them."
"Hahaha! Now you can set aside all your worries!"
"Yes, yes!"
Sang Manchu hurried toward Namgung Hyeok.
He bowed deeply and expressed his gratitude.
"Young Master! Thank you, truly thank you!"
Namgung Hyeok smiled like a Buddha and straightened Sang Manchu's waist.
"Hahaha! I just did what needed doing. Thanks to them, I pocketed some cash—no, thanks to them, I restored the family's honor too!"
Honor?
Hadn't he said to shove that crap and feed it to the dogs?
His expression was kindly and relaxed, as if he'd just finished some urgent business.
It was the first such look since meeting Namgung Hyeok.
But Sang Manchu didn't dwell on it.
Right now, all he could see were the horses returning to the fold.
"By the way, where's the Heaven-Earth Sect Leader?"
"Oh, that guy? Over there."
"Where... huh?"
At the tail end of the group, chasing after the horses' rumps, was the Heaven-Earth Sect Leader.
His face was not just pale but pitch-black, like a rotting corpse.
The silver sword worth a hundred taels that he bragged about daily was nowhere to be seen—probably sold off somewhere—and despite it being midwinter, he was barefoot in nothing but undergarments.
Moreover, behind him trailed the Heaven-Earth Sect disciples, bound like dried fish with ropes.
All of them had disheveled hair, wore only undergarments, and trudged along covered in filth.
"Young Master? What's this?"
"Oh, that guy's the one who stole the horses."
At that moment, Sang Manchu's eyes trembled, and silence fell.
After a brief pause.
"...So the Heaven-Earth Sect Leader is the one who stole the horses?"
"Yeah, pretty bad crime."
Sang Manchu stared at Ha Taegon with eyes full of mixed emotions.
Relief at recovering the horses, the emptiness and inner turmoil from losing them, anxiety, betrayal toward the Heaven-Earth Sect Leader he'd trusted even briefly...
Sang Manchu's eyes rolled back.
"You fucking bastard!"
He charged at Ha Taegon.
*Slap!*
"Kekekeke!"
Ha Taegon's head snapped back.
He glared at Sang Manchu with shocked eyes.
"You, you fucking horse-shit punk, you hit me?"
"What did you say? You thieving bastard! Do you know what hell I've been through because of you! You vile scum! And then you have the gall to pretend to help the gang?!"
"Then you should've guarded them properly from the start! You ignorant horse-shit punk!"
"Fine, you son of a bitch. Get beaten to death by a horse guy!"
"What?"
*Slap slap slap!*
"Gack, gackgack!"
Sang Manchu unleashed a barrage of slaps on Ha Taegon's cheeks.
Still unsatisfied, he stomped on him viciously.
*Thud thud thud thud thud!*
"Gackgack, gackgack! S-stop!"
"You dog-shit bastard! I'll bury you in a manure pile! Die!"
Namgung Hyeok stepped in to calm Sang Manchu, who was foaming at the mouth as he kicked.
"Whoa whoa, calm down, Master. You'll kill him."
"This guy deserves to die!"
"Nah, we have to escort him back to the main house. Anyway, I'm thirsty."
Sang Manchu glared at Ha Taegon reluctantly before clasping his fists in salute.
"My apologies for the rudeness! Young Master, I'll host you properly today!"
He shouted toward Wang Pil.
"The Young Master has brought back the horses, so he must be weary! Hurry and prepare to entertain the Young Master and his warriors!"
"Yes, Master!"
At Sang Manchu's command, Wang Pil and the servants rushed off, and belated cheers erupted.
"Waaaaah, long live the Young Master!"
"Long live the Young Master!"
"Come inside quickly, Young Master!"
Namgung Hyeok grinned as he entered the Silver Shadow Horse Gang.
The Thunder Dragon Squad and the dried-fish-bound prisoners trudged after him.
* * *
"Young Master, leaving already?! No drinking party?"
When Sang Manchu asked in surprise, Namgung Hyeok raised his hand.
"Have to head back now. Long road ahead."
Sang Manchu looked disappointed.
"Please stay just one more day. Was my hospitality lacking...?"
"Haha! For travel money, this is plenty!"
Namgung Hyeok patted his bulging pouch with an innocent smile.
A glint of gold shone from within.
"Ah, what a shame! Young Master."
Sang Manchu's eyes narrowed as his gaze shifted beside Namgung Hyeok.
There was Ha Taegon, cheeks swollen like bread loaves.
Puffy eyelids from constant whining.
Sang Manchu smiled faintly and saluted Namgung Hyeok.
"Thanks to you, Young Master, I escaped a dire situation. I'll never forget this grace and repay it someday."
"Uh, sure, repay it if you want."
"I'd like to help on your journey too..."
"Huh? No need."
He had a stop along the way; having them tag along would be trouble.
"You'll need people to manage the horses en route..."
"Nah, it's fine. My guys will handle it."
"But? They're finicky beasts."
"That's why I'm trying to get more finicky myself, so let's drop it."
Busy road ahead, why cling like this?
At Namgung Hyeok's firm tone, Sang Manchu finally took the hint.
"Ahem! Then, see you at the Harmony Alliance! Please give my regards to the Family Head."
"Sure sure!"
As Sang Manchu coughed awkwardly, Namgung Hyeok replied offhandedly.
"Yes, alright."
Straightening up, Sang Manchu suddenly slapped Ha Taegon, who was stuck beside Namgung Hyeok.
*Smack!*
"Gah!"
Ha Taegon screamed, drool spilling.
Now, he only let out feeble groans even when hit.
Namgung Hyeok gave a hollow laugh.
Having seated him at the meal and punished him constantly, Ha Taegon had been slapped all day; it showed how deep Sang Manchu's grudge ran.
*Smack smack!*
"Gackgack!"
Ha Taegon's head whipped left and right half-turns each.
"Ha, this punk!"
Sang Manchu smacked his lips regretfully.
'If I beat him another day, I could knock out all his teeth.'
Regrettable, but unavoidable.
Sang Manchu saluted Namgung Hyeok with a calm face as if nothing happened.
"Take care!"
"Got it!"
Namgung Hyeok waved casually as he left the Silver Shadow Horse Gang.
The Thunder Dragon Squad and ninety purebred horses followed in line.
Not long after leaving the Silver Shadow Horse Gang.
Geum Cheomsang, stuck close beside him, spoke up.
"Tough guy. Turning a person into that state. I get the sentiment, though."
"Horse breeders are like that. Horses have bitchy tempers, so that's how they end up."
"You don't even raise horses, Young Master, why so..."
"Life been pretty cushy lately?"
Geum Cheomsang averted his gaze and quickly said.
"Hurry and collect the hidden loot to sell!"
Namgung Hyeok chuckled dryly and beckoned with a finger.
Geon Cheon-hwi, watching Namgung Hyeok intently, lit up.
"Turn the horses around!"
Tak Hyuk-dong bellowed.
"Turn the horses! The Young Master heads to the battlefield!"
"Yes sir!"
The four-horse carriage veered, the wagons following.
The ninety purebreds turned en masse, and Ha Taegon and the Heaven-Earth Sect disciples sandwiched among them screamed as they scrambled after.
"Kwaaaak!"
"Euaaaak!"
Ignoring the screams from behind, the Thunder Dragon Squad pressed on.
Rumble rumble rumble.
Soon, ten wagons rolled out from the hiding spot.
It was the Heaven-Earth Sect's loot hidden before visiting the Silver Shadow Horse Gang.
Neigh-hiiing!
Ten more hidden horses joined, filling out to a hundred steeds.
Namgung Hyeok smiled warmly at the sight.
"Alright, let's go sell it off quick!"
* * *
The North Huabei Plains Black Market branch chief couldn't collect his wits at Namgung Hyeok's sudden appearance.
"N-Namgung family here, h-how...?"
"Black Market, right?"
"Y-yes. That's us."
"Got some assets to unload."
"...Pardon?"
"Make me some vouchers."
"H-how much do you want to sell?"
Namgung Hyeok pointed to the wagons entering the Black Market yard.
The chief's jaw dropped.
'What the hell is that?!'
A procession of wagons filing in.
Seeing the heaps of silver, gold statues, artworks atop them, the chief was speechless.
How much was that?
The largest, greatest haul since taking over the North Huabei Plains branch.
'No, wait, why bring that here?'
Of all places, to the Namgung family?
What was the Black Market?
A black market where nothing couldn't be sold or bought.
The goods circulating here would horrify plenty of people.
It was diametrically opposed to the upright Namgung family.
Yet here came Namgung warriors openly to the Black Market.
And the trading partner was none other than the Namgung second young master.
'...I-is today the day the Black Market gets purged? I knew the second young master was in the North Huabei Plains, but how did he even know about this place?'
Nothing came to mind except him rampaging to enforce justice.
Lately, he'd even gone bandit-hunting.
Terror and bewilderment washed over the chief as he stared at Namgung Hyeok.
"How much you offering?"
"Pardon?"
"No other exchange around here can quietly handle this much. Black Markets are best at quick sales, right?"
"Th-that's true. But how do you know...?"
Black Markets specialize in stolen goods, duh.
Namgung Hyeok ignored and said.
"Calculate it all."
The chief eyed the wagons lined up before the Black Market in bewilderment.
An enormous quantity.
Looked like he'd cleaned out some sect entirely.
'Doesn't seem like the purge I feared... He wants to trade? The Namgung second young master?'
Absurd and tense moment.
"...Then please wait a bit. Lots of goods, it'll take time."
"Take it easy, take it easy."
As Namgung Hyeok waved dismissively, the chief turned.
"All hands out!"
The chief called out his men to appraise the goods.
The Thunder Dragon Squad glared at them with fiery eyes.
Fiddling with weapons at their waists, as if they'd sever hands playing with the goods.
The Black Market men gulped dryly.
Clink clink.
Their hands moved twice as fast as usual.
Namgung Hyeok beamed innocently.
'Border region's got a decent-sized one, lucky.'
No place beat Black Markets for quick, discreet sales.
Namgung Hyeok grinned in satisfaction.
The chief approached, slamming his abacus.
"Ten wagons, among them gold and silver..."
"So, how much?"
"...We'll give thirty thousand silver taels."
"You sure that's accurate?"
"Not a syllable off, I calculated personally..."
"No, did you include those?"
"Pardon?"
The chief blinked at where Namgung Hyeok pointed.
No matter how he scanned, the wagons held nothing now.
Just a bunch of ragtag faces ahead...
A fair number, about fifty.
Mix of Heaven-Earth Sect elites and bandit-pretenders.
As realization dawned, the chief's face paled.
"No way..."
"Price them too."
"...?"
"What, why?"
The chief and his men gaped.
The Namgung second young master doing slave trading?
For real?
Namgung Hyeok waved off concerns.
"Not slave trading."
"Then?"
"They wanted to support the rogue warrior market, so I brought 'em."
...Doesn't sound right?
Namgung Hyeok added.
"Half price for these guys."
"...Thank you."
"So, total?"
"W-we'll give thirty-one thousand silver taels in Thousand Worlds Trading House vouchers."
Namgung Hyeok's mouth stretched to his ears.
'Heh heh heh heh. Yeah, that's it. Pouch needs this heft.'
Thirty-one thousand silver taels: an average joe on ten-tael monthly pay breathing for 250 years without spending a dime.
"Heh heh heh heh."
Back home, time to ponder spending it.
Snacks first.
Namgung Hyeok took the voucher from the chief and sniffed it happily.
'Ahh! Taste of honest labor.'
True reward for work done.
Namgung Hyeok grinned at the Thunder Dragon Squad.
"Let's head back!"
"Yes, Young Master!"
Namgung Hyeok and the Thunder Dragon Squad dragged the empty wagons and trudged away.
The chief watched the departing Namgung folk with his soul still rattled.
"...What the hell just happened."
"R-right?"
"Whew, thought we were closing shop."
Anyway, a fine deal.