Chapter 48
Chapter 48
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 48
Chapter Title: The Righteous Troublemakers
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“Who the hell are you bastards!”
Neung Un-bi sighed deeply as he looked at the man who was yelling his head off.
As the leader of this group of scoundrels, and as someone who preferred to handle things quietly, this was a truly unfortunate situation.
“That bastard!”
“Escort Ok!”
“…Ugh.”
As Wang Cheon flared up and tried to step forward, Ju Seung grabbed his arm firmly to stop him.
*Yes, Ju Seung. Thank goodness you’re here.*
*Please, stop that idiot who can't control his temper.*
*How nice it would have been to just pass through Jucheon quietly and take the shortest route to Dancheon Gate. Who would even care about a small escort agency like this passing through?*
*But now that this mess has started…*
*That’s how rumors work.*
*Once a rumor starts spreading by word of mouth, it’s bound to get exaggerated, even if the reality is nothing special.*
*And that rumor will eventually reach the ears of the Heavenly Pillar Gate in Jucheon.*
*The Orthodox factions have always been fond of the hollow word 'justice'. That's why, whenever a righteous person appears in their territory, they scramble to form a connection with them.*
*It's like they're collecting feel-good stories, I suppose?*
*Additionally, it's a way to avoid the stigma of being the family that mistreated a righteous person, should that person become famous later on.*
*In a situation like this, the choice is clear.*
*What good could possibly come from needlessly attracting the attention of the Orthodox factions?*
*It's better to pass through quietly.*
*The heavy money pouch in my robe feels like such a waste… but it can't be helped.*
*Give them what they want and smooth things over.*
*For now, I'll avoid a commotion. I can always secretly follow them later and get the money back, right?*
“Excuse me.”
When Neung Un-bi called out, bowing politely, the ruffian snapped his head around to look at him.
He scanned him repeatedly. Up, down, up, up, down.
Neung Un-bi felt the urge to gouge the man's eyes out, but he forced a smile, using his prayer beads to suppress his anger.
“I am…”
“Who do you think you are, you little brat who's still wet behind the ears? Get lost! Go get your superior, you little punk!”
“…”
He was the most senior person in the group.
*Phew, by the grace of the Thunder God…*
He almost lost his temper but managed to hold it back. If not for his prayer beads, his fist would have already connected with the man's jaw.
He glanced over, worried Wang Cheon might step in, but Wang Cheon only scowled and didn't move.
*A relief… huh?*
*Did something just flash before my eyes…?*
*Crack!*
“…?”
Something shot past Neung Un-bi, and with an unexpected crack, the ruffian who had been spouting nonsense about 'brats' flew in an arc and slammed hard against the inn's far wall.
*There was blood everywhere. A fist… had landed squarely on his face?*
“You goddamn bastard! Who the hell do you think you're calling a brat!”
Neung Un-bi's face hardened like stone at the sight of Ju Seung, who was roaring ferociously, his eyes filled with killing intent.
He had forgotten.
That this loyal man, a complete novice in such matters, would lose his mind the moment his master was insulted…
“You son of a bitch! Is our mas— no, our Director your friend?! Huh?!”
*Damn it all, how could he be so loyal?*
*And even in his rage, he had the presence of mind to remember their cover…*
“You mongrel! How dare you glare with those cheap-ass eyes in front of him!”
Ju Seung began to brutally stomp on the ruffian whose name he hadn't even heard, while the man's companions, their faces pale with shock, hesitated and backed away.
“Gah! Kugh! S-save me…”
“Shut your mouth, you bastard! Today, I'll pluck out those insolent eyes of yours and toss them to the street kids for their game of marbles!”
“Kuaargh! Guuuh…”
*His curses are so visceral. And quite creative, too.*
But his mind went blank, and all he could do was let out a hollow laugh.
*One of them was hard enough to handle… but two of them, acting in tandem…*
*A damn apostle of justice and an overzealous loyalist.*
“Haaah, Escort Ok.”
“…Yes?”
At Neung Un-bi's drained voice, Wang Cheon looked up and tilted his head.
“Sh-should I stop him?”
“…”
*Stop him?*
*Whose fault is it that this started in the first place?*
*Look at the situation. Do you think stopping him now will smooth things over?*
“Just leave him alive.”
“Sir? Yes, sir!”
As Neung Un-bi sighed deeply and slumped down at a table, Wang Cheon's eyes, now filled with killing intent, twinkled as he grinned.
“Okcheong Escort Agency!”
“Sir!”
“You heard the order. Beat the shit out of all of them!”
Cracking his wrists, Wang Cheon stepped forward, and the porters of the Sakwol Unit—no, the Okcheong Escort Agency—shot out like lightning.
*Thwack! Crack! Smack!*
The back-alley ruffians who extorted money in this rural town were no match for them.
Wang Cheon was the self-proclaimed strongest of the guard captains, and Ju Seung was the leader of the Black Leopard Unit, the most elite force of Snow Mountain Manor, personally selected by So Seol-ok-su to stay by Neung Un-bi's side. As for the Sakwol Unit, it would be tiresome to list all their qualifications.
“Th-they're going to… kill them.”
The innkeeper, who had been anxiously wringing his hands at the sudden brawl, was now starting to worry about the ruffians.
But they won't die. They may be hot-headed bastards, but they follow orders to the letter.
“Uh… Director?”
“Yes?”
“Please, make them stop.”
“…”
“At this rate, we're the ones who are going to die.”
Neung Un-bi sighed at the innkeeper's tearful expression.
*I know what he means.*
*He's worried about the aftermath.*
*Who lives here longer?*
*The escort agency will leave, but the ruffians will stay. Even if we beat these guys up now, others will soon come and harass him.*
*The Heavenly Pillar Gate, based in Jucheon, isn't going to dispatch warriors to maintain order in a small, outlying town like Hyangeup.*
*Even for an Orthodox sect, there has to be something in it for them. No matter how much they talk about justice, there's no such thing as a free lunch in this world.*
*Damn it…*
*What should I do? I can't let innocent people suffer because of a mess we created, can I?*
“Listen.”
“Yes?”
“Don't worry.”
“…?”
“We started this, so we'll take responsibility for it.”
“You will? But how?”
“…”
The innkeeper tilted his head in confusion, and Neung Un-bi sighed again.
*We have to leave soon, but it's not like there are no options.*
*It's just that I didn't want to do it because it would inevitably draw the attention of the Heavenly Pillar Gate.*
*But… what can I do? Things have already gone this far.*
“Director! It's done.”
“…”
As Ju Seung proudly reported, dragging the ruffian leader—now a bloody pulp—by the collar, Neung Un-bi nodded with a sense of defeat.
“Guuuh, please… spare me.”
“…”
They really did leave him barely breathing.
He sighed again at the sight of Escort Ok and the porters standing gallantly, their feet on the fallen ruffians.
*Guys… you're porters. Baggage carriers, remember?*
But they all looked far too proud for him to point that out.
“Escort Cheong.”
“Yes?”
“Treat the wounded first.”
“…Ah!”
“…”
At Neung Un-bi's weary words, Ju Seung's eyes trembled with emotion as he spoke.
“I wasn't injured! Your concern for me only deepens this subordinate's loyalty!”
“…”
*Not you, you idiot.*
***
“What do you mean?”
Bae Hyo-gang, the Gate Master of the Heavenly Pillar Gate, frowned as he asked. He had been leisurely sipping tea after breakfast while receiving a daily report from his Head Steward, Gwak Chung.
“It seems there was a small incident in Hyangeup two days ago.”
“Hyangeup…”
“It's a small village north of the main family's residence, with about a hundred households. Although it falls within our sect's territory, it offers no real benefit, so we haven't paid it much attention.”
“And?”
“There are a few thugs who live by extorting petty cash from inns and taverns. It appears they had a run-in with a group called the Okcheong Escort Agency that was passing through.”
“Ok… what?”
“The Okcheong Escort Agency. According to our findings, they operate near the Okmun Pass border. A young man named I Jung-gil is said to be both its owner and director.”
“Such a place exists?”
“It's such a minor agency that this is the first we've heard of it.”
“Hmm… and?”
“They're a group with nothing to their name but a strong sense of justice. They apparently caused quite a stir by dealing with the ruffians extorting protection money from an inn and handing them over to the local authorities.”
“A stir?”
“They demanded to know what the authorities were doing while thugs were running rampant, tormenting the poor.”
“They did what?”
“The officials expressed their reluctance, citing non-interference in martial affairs, but the agency argued back, questioning how the government could use such an excuse when it came to protecting its people.”
“What kind of nonsense… Hah!”
Bae Hyo-gang was so flabbergasted he was at a loss for words.
*Are these unheard-of nobodies really running around acting like some kind of apostles of justice?*
“But the problem is, this director fellow claims he can't stand by and watch the people suffer, so he's postponed his escort mission and is now sweeping through the entire area.”
“What?”
“He says he's going to catch every last bandit and turn it into a crime-free zone.”
“Hah! Have you ever seen such a madman? A guy who runs an escort agency should be worrying about mountain bandits, not this!”
“He's only around twenty, so we believe it's youthful recklessness… but the rumors are taking a turn for the worse.”
“Rumors? They've already started? You said it was two days ago!”
“That's right… But the rumors are spreading unusually fast.”
“What kind of rumors?”
“Word is spreading that this unheard-of escort agency is better than the Heavenly Pillar Gate.”
“What did you say?”
Bae Hyo-gang's eyes blazed with fury as he roared.
“What kind of bullshit is that! What bastards who deserve to be torn limb from limb are spouting such nonsense!”
As the harsh shout echoed through the room, Head Steward Gwak Chung fell silent for a moment.
“Ahem… Continue.”
“Yes, sir.”
“…”
“It seems the recent weakening of security within our territory, due to our focus on subjugating the Demonic Cult, has worked against us. That's likely why the rumors are spreading so quickly.”
“Hmph…”
Gwak Chung's words made Bae Hyo-gang's face twist in anger.
Subjugating the Demonic Cult was the Heavenly Pillar Gate's top priority these days.
Wasn't their heir, Bae Hap, who led the subjugation force, earning great renown and praise for his distinguished service?
In a situation like this, it was not good for resentment against the family to build up.
Weren't there countless Unorthodox bastards lurking about, looking for a chance to encroach on the interests they held in Jucheon?
From the Unorthodox forces occupying the area near the Great Snow Mountains to the north, to the Black Serpent Gang bastards occupying Gohap to the south, they were all watching for an opportunity.
In such a climate, losing the people's trust would not only give an excuse to those seeking to expand their territory but could also easily escalate into bloodshed.
“Hmm… What should be done?”
“Is the family not on the verge of a momentous occasion? It would be unwise to let the problem grow. I suggest we smooth things over for now.”
“Smooth things over?”
“Yes. Has the First Young Master not already achieved enough merit?”
“That's true.”
“If we withdraw some personnel, establish a branch in the troubled area to protect it, and then summon this Okcheong Escort Agency to commend them and build a friendly relationship, the rumors in the marketplace will quickly die down.”
Bae Hyo-gang nodded at Gwak Chung's words.
“Very well. I'll entrust this matter to you.”
“Yes, sir. I will take my leave.”
“…”
After Gwak Chung left, Bae Hyo-gang felt as though the tea had lost all its flavor.
*The Okcheong Escort Agency?*
*Where did these insignificant nobodies suddenly come from…?*
He had already spent a lot of money recently, and the thought of operating a branch in a place that wouldn't turn a profit was already irritating him.
*But what could he do?*
At a time when the family was in the midst of a crucial affair, there was nothing to be gained from starting an unnecessary war with the Unorthodox factions.
Bae Hyo-gang gulped down the now-cold tea in one go, trying to swallow his surging anger.