Chapter 48
Chapter 48
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 48
Chapter Title: To Reduce It (2)
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"If General Seol joins us, that's all the better for us. Looking forward to it from here on out, General Seol."
"Wow! Can I call you Sister Seol?!"
"Then I want to call you big sis too!"
Hwan-gyu and his two disciples welcomed her warmly.
After all, she had no rough edges in either skill or personality.
"What?! Covering our travel expenses?! You're more than welcome!!"
Gu Hwan-gae was thrilled at the prospect of free money.
From a beggar's perspective, it was like finding someone to latch onto.
Seol Ryu-a smiled gently at them.
"From now on, treat me not as a general, but as one of the group."
"Heh heh. Hey, Yu-wol. Now we've got a new companion—still planning to crash at inns every night?"
"There are no inns along the route," Dang Yu-wol replied, glancing at the map. Gu Hwan-gae's face fell.
Yi-kyeong and Yi-yul, who had harbored faint hopes, looked crestfallen too.
"It'd be nice if there was an inn..."
"The map says there isn't."
"It might've popped up since the map was made."
Gu Hwan-gae desperately hoped for an inn.
But as expected, there were none along the road.
"Aw, shucks."
In the end, as dusk fell, they had no choice but to set up camp in a suitable spot.
"When traveling with horses, you have to cool them down now and then. I'll teach you how this time."
"Yes, Master!"
"Should I fetch the brushes?"
"Yeah."
Hwan-gyu and his two disciples headed to the stream to tend to the horses.
"Gotta get a fire going. I'll gather some wood."
"Young Master Dang, I'll tidy up the area."
Dang Yu-wol was the only one left.
Are you just gonna sit around?
Nah.
"Whatcha doing?"
Gu Hwan-gae plopped down beside him, having gathered branches. Looked like he was done with his chores and ready to slack off.
"Prepping dinner."
"Huh? You can cook too?"
"Basics."
"Oh ho. Not what I'd expect from the young heir of a prestigious clan."
"Know where poison and medicine were first made?"
"Where?"
"The kitchen."
"Oh ho."
"No Tang Clan disciple feels awkward in a kitchen."
"You too?"
"Yeah. I know the basic recipes."
Dang Yu-wol prepared the meal with practiced ease.
Oil in the pot, then stir-fry the meat.
A savory aroma rose up.
"Looks edible as is."
"Might as well make it delicious while we're at it."
He added vegetables and spices, stir-frying again.
"Making a stir-fry?"
"Yes."
"Saw you add Sichuan peppercorns—gonna be spicy."
"Not to your taste?"
"As if. Beggars and monks eat whatever's given."
"Got it."
"Can ya add more meat, though?"
He brazenly asked for more meat despite claiming to eat anything.
Dang Yu-wol chuckled dryly and sliced up more of the purchased meat to add.
"Whoa! Smells amazing!!"
"Wow, bro! You can cook too?!"
"I was gonna do it..."
The group returned from their tasks, eyes lighting up with anticipation.
Their stares were a bit pressuring.
But it wasn't a problem.
"Wow!"
"Looks so tasty!!"
"Mm. This is excellent. The spice level is perfectly balanced."
The finished dish was impressive by any standard.
Stir-fried meat loaded with chunks, plus wheat cakes.
Hwan-gyu took a bite and let out a sigh of admiration.
"Incredible. You could sell this."
Seol Ryu-a's eyes widened in surprise.
"I had no idea Young Master Dang was such a good cook."
"Mm, mm. Should've tried your cooking back at the Tang Clan."
Yi-kyeong and Yi-yul were raving about how delicious it was.
"Thanks."
"Love this spicy kick especially."
"Yes. Just the right heat, as you said, sir."
Hwan-gyu nodded, and Seol Ryu-a agreed.
"I don't handle spicy well, but this is good."
"How do you balance it so perfectly?"
As they heaped on the praise, Dang Yu-wol replied nonchalantly.
"Spice can be a poison too."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. Too much intense heat can numb the tongue for days."
Dang Yu-wol casually pulled out the Sichuan peppercorns from his bag.
"Overdo it in cooking, and it harms the body."
Harming the body.
That too was poison.
"Think of it that way, and yeah, it makes sense."
"Poisons are more common around us than we think."
Gu Hwan-gae and Hwan-gyu munched on the stir-fry as they responded.
They'd experienced it firsthand.
"Even beggars not washing is a kind of poison."
"Huh? Really?"
Not a few murim folk skipped baths.
Beggars especially.
Stung, Gu Hwan-gae looked at Dang Yu-wol pleadingly.
"Not washing makes you prone to illness."
"R-Really?"
"Yes. Anything that harms living things or leads to death can be poison."
Dang Yu-wol stated matter-of-factly, then took a bite.
"Some even die from buckwheat."
"Eh?! Buckwheat?! For real, Young Master Dang?"
"Yes. So stay cautious on the jianghu."
Hwan-gyu nodded at Dang Yu-wol's words.
You had to watch out for everything in the murim world.
"Good advice. You'll be active in the jianghu soon enough."
His kind gaze turned to his two disciples.
"Plenty smile to your face while feeding you poison."
The disciples shrank back, realizing how scary the jianghu was.
It might scare them now, but it'd help later.
"Young Master Dang, anything else dangerous besides buckwheat?"
"Yes, like peanuts."
"Peanuts? Those threaten lives?"
"Yes. Some swell up and get rashes from them."
"Huh? For real?"
"Worse cases, breathing issues leading to suffocation."
Peanuts were common.
Yet even they required caution.
"Shellfish and such too—wrong ones can kill."
"Back in the army, some were discharged for such reasons... maybe that's why."
Seol Ryu-a nodded, as if gaining new knowledge.
Curious, Gu Hwan-gae asked her.
"The military doesn't know this stuff?"
"Well, they have doctors, but..."
This was specialist poison knowledge.
General Song was right.
It wasn't just martial arts.
Dang Yu-wol's knowledge would greatly aid the military.
"The army will recruit doctors next year. Hope the Tang Clan sends some."
Dang Yu-wol just smiled without committing.
After dinner, during a break, Yi-kyeong grew bored while reading under Hwan-gyu's orders and looked around.
Dang Yu-wol was whittling wood with a dagger.
"Bro, whatcha making?"
"Hidden weapons."
"Outta wood?"
"Yeah. Channel inner energy in, and they're usable to a degree."
A neatly crafted throwing star.
Dang Yu-wol inspected it and nodded.
Satisfactory enough.
"Whoa, bro. Can I try it?"
"Sure."
Dang Yu-wol handed the wooden star to him.
Yi-kyeong beamed, and Yi-yul, who'd been watching, scurried over.
"Since you're holding hidden weapons, might as well teach you how to throw."
Hwan-gyu smiled as Dang Yu-wol instructed his disciples in the basics.
"Hidden weapons can save your life. Teaching them something good."
"Not really."
"Feels like I'm always receiving from you, little brother. I'll teach you a nice movement art later."
"Appreciate it."
Will it help?
Depends what it is.
Either way, better relations with the Point Star Sect couldn't hurt.
As they chatted, Seol Ryu-a, studying the map, spoke to Gu Hwan-gae.
"Elder, for Henan, best to take a boat from Jigong County."
"Jigong County... where Cheon River meets the Yangtze, right?"
He responded casually, as if he'd been waiting, and she smiled faintly.
"Yes. Historic transport hub, frequent pirate haunts. That's why the military's stationed there."
"So... ride a military boat?"
"Yes."
"Hah. Having a general along makes this sweet."
How often do jianghu folk ride military vessels?
Gu Hwan-gae laughed heartily.
"Hey! Yu-wol!! We're taking a military boat to Hubei—you're in, right?!"
Dang Yu-wol nodded.
No reason to refuse if it was faster.
* * *
After days of travel, Dang Yu-wol's group arrived at Jigong County.
The military presence meant no trace of anxiety on people's faces.
"You look like jianghu folk. Don't draw your sword recklessly here."
At the county gate, an inspecting officer spoke coldly.
"We're traveling with a military general."
Dang Yu-wol stepped forward.
He'd naturally taken the lead.
"We won't violate the law."
"Military general...?"
"Seol Ryu-a of the Black Tiger Corps."
She flashed her badge.
The officer checked it and hastily saluted.
"Ah!! My apologies!! I didn't recognize you...!"
"It's proper soldier conduct, so no reprimand. Can we enter?"
"Yes! Of course!!"
Unlike others waiting, they passed smoothly.
This is power, Seol Ryu-a thought, looking smug as she led them on.
"Straight to the harbor."
"Is that okay? There's procedures..."
"Don't worry. Military can be requested for such cases."
"But Miss Seol, they might not go all the way to Hubei. Could be disrupting military ops."
"No need to worry, True Person Hwan-gyu. Tonight, there's training to Hubei."
That settled it.
The group headed to the docks as she said.
"Whoa... huge..."
"Like Huigang County..."
Jigong County's docks bustled with soldiers.
Plenty of boats for them all.
"Wait here a moment."
Seol Ryu-a approached them.
She spoke to who seemed the captain, then looked troubled.
Something wrong?
"Issue?"
"Mm... training's canceled."
"Then...?"
"Yangtze Waterway Gang pirates have set up nearby."
"Those damn bastards."
"Yes, I agree, Elder. Anyway, all warships are moving to suppress them."
"So we can't ride?"
"More like... after the op, they'll head to Hubei."
Contrary to expectations, Seol Ryu-a looked embarrassed.
She'd spoken so confidently.
"If you wish, land route instead? Can requisition horses or carts."
She hesitated, then said firmly.
"Can requisition if you want."
"Nah, no need."
Hwan-gyu agreed with Gu Hwan-gae.
No need to go that far.
"Miss Seol, that operation—dangerous?"
Seol Ryu-a shook her head at Dang Yu-wol's question.
Just pirate suppression—nothing risky.
"Then better to join. What do you all think?"
Suppressing bandits was a righteous murim duty.
Dang Yu-wol nodded at Hwan-gyu's proposal.
Yangtze Waterway Gang, Green Forest. They collaborated with the Blood Cult.
Then we smash them.