Chapter 84
Chapter 84
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 84
Chapter Title: The Wisdom to Become the Son of Heaven
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"That's right..."
Then Cheon Sin-u turned to Han Ibi and said,
"It seems you were interested in that cargo as well."
Han Ibi's face flushed with embarrassment for some reason, and he scratched his head vigorously.
"No, that's not it. I just... wanted to help..."
"Whatever the case, it's fine. What happened to the cargo?"
"Truth be told, with my life on the line, I ended up luring them to the cliff and throwing it off before fleeing."
Suddenly, Cheon Sin-u burst into loud laughter.
"Hahaha! I see. So this is... this is all heaven's will..."
At that moment, Jong Ri-hyeok asked,
"If I may ask, who commissioned the escort of that cargo?"
Cheon Sin-u closed his eyes briefly before opening them and replying,
"The Kiryeon Gate."
Yeo Nan-ju exclaimed in surprise,
"The Kiryeon Gate? You mean the mysterious group that's only whispered about in the jianghu? That actually exists?"
"Indeed. It does exist. And I'm living proof. The one who requested the escort from me was none other than the Kiryeon Gate's Grand Elder."
Jong Ri-hyeok asked,
"Where was the cargo headed?"
"The destination was... the Imperial Palace."
"What?"
"Pardon?"
Even So Eun-ri, who showed little emotional change, was taken aback by his answer.
Yeo Nan-ju asked,
"Who in the Imperial Palace would..."
Cheon Sin-u replied with a stern expression,
"For your safety, I can't say more..."
Han Ibi asked,
"What exactly was the cargo?"
Cheon Sin-u shook his head.
"We didn't know either. That was one of the conditions for the high-paying escort. However..."
All eyes turned to Cheon Sin-u.
"...they repeatedly warned us that failure would bring retribution, and our entire bureau would be wiped out."
Han Ibi said,
"Those are some real son-of-a-bitch bastards."
"Heh heh heh. Exactly. How could I not see it when even you picked up on it just from hearing? I don't know how this top-secret information leaked, but moments ago, my escorts and I were ambushed simultaneously by bandits from two different mountain strongholds."
A brief silence fell.
Everyone already knew the rest of the story...
Jong Ri-hyeok broke the silence.
"Is there anything we can do to help?"
Cheon Sin-u sighed again and said,
"At this point, what help could there be? Just..."
He hesitated, and Jong Ri-hyeok prompted,
"Bureau Chief, please speak freely."
"Then, shameless as it is, I have one request."
"Understood."
"Go now to the Yeoseon Escort Bureau in Hubei Province and tell my clan members to seek refuge."
Han Ibi interjected in shock,
"Wait... you're saying that threat of extermination wasn't just talk?"
But ignoring Han Ibi's question, Cheon Sin-u looked to Jong Ri-hyeok and asked again,
"Will you do it?"
Surprisingly, Jong Ri-hyeok nodded without a moment's hesitation.
"We will."
Ignoring the stunned expressions of Han Ibi and Yeo Nan-ju...
'This guy's protagonist syndrome is driving me insane. We're swamped as it is, and now this...'
Han Ibi grumbled inwardly, but he couldn't just brush off a dying man's words.
Cheon Sin-u chuckled contentedly and said,
"Thank you. Truly."
A short silence followed.
The rain had now dwindled to a mere drizzle.
Something felt off, though.
Jong Ri-hyeok placed a finger under Cheon Sin-u's nose.
There was no breath.
The chief of an escort bureau once rivaling the best in the Central Plains had met such a futile end.
Surrounded by strangers.
Dawn was already breaking.
They hadn't even camped; they'd truly pulled an all-nighter.
Fortunately, the bandits—who knew if they were dead or alive—hadn't returned this way.
Han Ibi and Jong Ri-hyeok struggled to dig a grave with scant tools.
The rain-soaked ground made it somewhat easier, which was a small mercy.
Han Ibi was thoroughly displeased.
'Chasing after this goody-two-shoes protagonist is a pain in the ass.'
In the novel, it was just one line: 'They buried him in a sunny spot.' But digging a real grave? What a grind!
'Writers who spout that crap never served in the military. Digging is no joke!'
Jong Ri-hyeok asked Han Ibi,
"What exactly happened?"
Han Ibi shot him a sideways glance and said,
"Whoa, quick to ask. My little bro was fighting for his life, and here I am cleaning up after some random guy..."
"Just answer."
"Fine, fine. So..."
Han Ibi recounted to Jong Ri-hyeok and the others what had happened with Bang So-dok and Yun Ui-seol.
With a bit of exaggeration and editing, of course...
Yeo Nan-ju said,
"Unbelievable. You went toe-to-toe with the chiefs of those two mountain strongholds?"
"Hey, stuff happens in life. What's with the skepticism?"
Then Jong Ri-hyeok said,
"Let's go."
The two turned to him.
Han Ibi said,
"What?"
"I said let's go."
"Now?"
"Yes. Time is of the essence."
"I know, but can't we rest a bit? After all that..."
"Lives are at stake. We leave immediately. Get ready."
Huh?
Lives at stake?
Heading to the Martial Alliance? Since when do lives hang on that?
Something ominous... maybe...?
"You mean go to the Yeoseon Escort Bureau now?"
"Of course."
Han Ibi frothed at the mouth.
"No way! That's insane! If the Sect Leader finds out..."
"Qingcheng is a righteous orthodox sect. They won't blame us for upholding justice."
Han Ibi was left speechless, like a mute who'd eaten honey.
Principle like that always leaves the responder at a loss.
Then Yeo Nan-ju pointed at something and said,
"What about that?"
Indeed.
There lay the iron chest that had protected the cargo, sprawled on the ground.
Han Ibi said,
"What else? We ditch it."
Jong Ri-hyeok said,
"Then take it and ditch it."
Han Ibi asked,
"What?"
Jong Ri-hyeok said,
"He couldn't mark the grave probably to avoid potential dangers."
Oh, that? Haha. I thought he skipped it from exhaustion...
Han Ibi said,
"So you want me to haul that far away and dump it?"
Jong Ri-hyeok gave him a slight glare.
Aha. Big brother mode only when it suits him?
"Fine. Whatever."
I'm the real big bro here!
But... in the jianghu, jianghu rules apply.
Grumbling, Han Ibi hefted the heavy iron chest and started moving.
Jong Ri-hyeok said,
"Hurry back. Make sure no one will find it."
"Worried much? I got this. Alright, alright."
With that, Han Ibi began climbing the steep slope.
He'd felt it many times, but his mountain-climbing skills were truly top-tier.
Why doesn't the status window show a level for this...?
'Maybe hit the Himalayas for some Sherpa gig later...'
Lost in such nonsense, he reached a spot half a gak-yeo beyond.
Perfect place to dump the chest.
Below was an impossibly deep, pitch-black abyss.
'Toss it here, and no one finds a trace. Good.'
He hoisted the chest overhead, wondering,
'What's so special that they encased it in this heavy shell?'
Then it hit him.
The chest's structure looked odd.
No decorations, given its purpose, but clearly crafted with care.
Working iron so freely in this era wasn't easy.
Definitely an artisan's work.
Now ending its eventful life here.
Suddenly, something seemed wrong.
'Am I seeing things?'
Han Ibi set the chest down and compared its external height to the internal depth.
'Weird. The bottom seems too shallow for the height...'
He stared intently.
'No way, but just in case...'
Han Ibi drew his sword.
And then...
He stabbed the interior furiously.
Clang clang clang.
The loud echoes filled the deserted mountains.
The chest was incredibly sturdy, barely budging.
Han Ibi channeled his inner energy and struck harder.
'This thing's tough. Hope the sword doesn't chip...'
Then.
With a 'crack,' the bottom finally split.
'Success!'
Beneath was...
'Double bottom. Something's hidden below.'
Through the gap, something glinted.
Han Ibi wedged his fingers in and probed the hidden panel.
He felt something.
He pulled it out.
Han Ibi's heart pounded.
'Did I just... find something big...?'
It was an object wrapped in luxurious silk.
Han Ibi carefully unfolded the cloth.
A book.
It resembled the book he'd tried to toss off the cliff earlier.
Stunned momentarily, Han Ibi realized the implications and slapped his knee.
'The real deal! The owner hid the true item under the chest!'
He quickly opened the cover.
The title read:
Essential Collection of Tactical Strategies
'Jackpot! Huge jackpot.'
Han Ibi gaped in shock.
One of the 108 Fortuitous Encounters had nearly plummeted into an endless abyss.
'Those sly bastards... Even if they lost the cargo, they planned to bury this book. Or retrieve it later... What the hell is the Kiryeon Gate, anyway?'
Han Ibi flipped through the book.
Diagrams were sparse as rain in drought; pages crammed with text.
It looked dull and useless.
Especially not the martial arts manual he'd craved.
"Damn it. I hate studying..."
But he couldn't just toss it.
Han Ibi tucked it into his bosom.
Ding~
[Sudden Quest: Seized the Yeoseon Escort Bureau's Cargo]
🎁 Reward 1: Essential Collection of Tactical Strategies—one of the rare system-type items among the 108 Fortuitous Encounters. DB functions now available when needed.
🎁 Reward 2: While possessing Essential Collection of Tactical Strategies, player's Wisdom +200.
Whoa. Unexpected bandit success...
Oh ho. Like the herbal encyclopedia—usable. Not totally useless.
Whoa!
I'm getting smarter!
'Whoops. Took too long. The others will worry.'
Feeling a bit better, Han Ibi dashed back down the mountain.
(To be continued in the next chapter)