Chapter 15
Chapter 15
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Sa Sa Un
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Se Yeong even called over Yi Cheon Yeong, who had been practicing his martial arts off to one side.
"Is there anyone in the First Squad who knows how to cook?"
Yi Cheon Yeong couldn't figure out why Se Yeong was suddenly asking such a question.
A good cook, out of the blue?
It was such an abrupt inquiry that he couldn't answer right away.
"How long are we going to keep eating this slop?"
What Se Yeong wanted to fix most urgently right now was their meals.
Food had to taste good, but the meals the squad members prepared were no better than pig feed.
On top of that, the squad members were wasting far too much time on cooking.
"There is someone, but he's not on the level of a famous inn's head chef."
Se Yeong wasn't asking for a master chef.
He'd be happy with food that was at least edible.
"Good. What's his name?"
"His name is Sa Sa Un, from the Hangzhou Sa Family."
'The Hangzhou Sa Family...'
Se Yeong sank into thought.
He felt like he'd heard the name of the family somewhere before, just in passing.
Snapping out of it, Se Yeong spoke up.
"Bring him here."
The squad members looked at him with bewildered expressions.
"How exactly are we supposed to bring that guy here...?"
Se Yeong pointed to the sword Blood Ghost Mother had wielded, which Paeng Se Gi was holding.
"Take that sword and go to the First Squad with Se Gi. Propose a bet: if the First Squad wins this match, you give them the sword, but if we win, they hand over that Sa Sa Un."
It was a truly ingenious idea.
But the squad members seemed to think differently.
"Brother, do we really have to risk that sword just to get Sa Sa Un? What if we lose this match?"
Paeng Se Gi clearly hated the thought of parting with Blood Ghost Mother's sword.
The other squad members felt the same.
"Great Hero Han, Sa Sa Un isn't worth betting that sword over. He's got decent cooking skills, sure, but he's such a scheming bastard—he's got Namgung Seok's ear and does all his dirty work. If he'd been a court official, he'd probably go down in history as a treacherous minister."
Yi Cheon Yeong and Hahu Yeon nodded at Dang Ok's words.
"It's fine. If we get him, I'll just have him cook."
"Brother, what if we lose this match?"
"Quit yapping and go get him!"
Se Yeong bellowed, and Paeng Se Gi and Yi Cheon Yeong had no choice but to set off.
The First Squad's lodging was incomparable to the Tenth Squad's.
The building was two stories tall, massive in scale, and even their training grounds were spacious and clean.
"Compared to the Tenth Squad, this place is a palace—a real palace."
Paeng Se Gi looked up at the First Squad's quarters in admiration, making Yi Cheon Yeong flush red.
"Sorry. Our place is such a dump."
"Why are you apologizing? When we make it big, we'll snatch this place from them."
Hahaha...
Yi Cheon Yeong burst into hearty laughter.
Just hearing those words made his chest feel lighter.
At that moment, a First Squad member who spotted them called out.
"What brings the Tenth Squad to the First?"
Paeng Se Gi straightened his shoulders confidently.
"Let us in and fetch Namgung Seok. We have important business."
The First Squad member eyed them suspiciously before heading inside.
Moments later, the door flew open, and Namgung Seok rushed out with the rest of the First Squad in tow.
"What do you want, Mountain Beast Blade?"
Namgung Seok immediately picked a fight upon seeing Paeng Se Gi.
Several First Squad members snickered at the nickname.
Kekeke...
Hahaha...!
"These bastards..."
Fury boiled up in Paeng Se Gi as he gripped his iron club tight.
But he had to hold it back.
He had to carry out Se Yeong's orders.
Yi Cheon Yeong spoke up on his behalf.
"Namgung Seok. Confident about this match?"
Namgung Seok shot back with a mocking tone.
"Why? Is the Tenth Squad feeling shaky? Beg for mercy now, and maybe we'll go easy on you."
This match was a matter of pride for the First and Tenth Squads.
It was a battle they absolutely could not lose—they'd never even considered defeat.
"If you're so confident, how about a little wager?"
Hahaha...!
Namgung Seok barked out a laugh at Yi Cheon Yeong's words.
It was an expression of his superiority.
The Tenth Squad daring to challenge the First to a bet?
The other First Squad members laughed along in disbelief.
Hahaha...!
Paeng Se Gi was so enraged he felt like he could go mad.
Ugh...
He was so furious he could've taken on a million enemies single-handedly.
Once the laughter died down, Namgung Seok sneered.
"Fine. Let's hear it. What kind of bet?"
Yi Cheon Yeong nudged Paeng Se Gi in the ribs; the man was barely containing his rage.
Finally snapping to, Paeng Se Gi thrust the sword forward.
"Take a look."
Namgung Seok tilted his head curiously before taking the sword.
Shing...
A clear metallic ring accompanied a slightly dark blade glow, reflecting the torchlight brilliantly.
Astonishment replaced the sneers on Namgung Seok and his squad's faces.
As martial artists, they could recognize a fine sword when they saw one.
'That's one hell of a sword.'
Namgung Seok especially knew its true value—he'd seen many famed blades in his family.
For a warrior, the top priority was peerless martial arts, followed by a superior weapon.
"If the Tenth Squad loses this match, the sword is yours. But if the First Squad loses, you hand over Sa Sa Un."
Sa Sa Un, standing beside Namgung Seok, jumped in shock.
Why was his name coming up here?
"What the hell are you talking about, Yi Cheon Yeong?"
Paeng Se Gi and Yi Cheon Yeong ignored him completely.
Their eyes were fixed solely on Namgung Seok.
Thud.
"Deal."
Namgung Seok sheathed the sword and accepted.
"Squad Leader Namgung."
Sa Sa Un panicked at the agreement.
After all the ass-kissing he'd done, they were trading him for a single sword?
Namgung Seok gave him a gentle smile.
"Think the First Squad could ever lose?"
Sa Sa Un calmed down at those words.
The other First Squad members patted his shoulder reassuringly.
"Relax, Sa Sa Un. We won't lose."
"We're getting a fine sword for free."
Namgung Seok handed the sword back to Paeng Se Gi with evident reluctance.
"I trust you'll honor the bet."
Paeng Se Gi shouted back emphatically.
"You'd better keep your end too!"
The squad members rose early and hurriedly prepared to depart.
Truth be told, they hadn't slept a wink all night from worry.
"Hurry up! The First Squad might've already left! Let's go, brother!"
Paeng Se Gi urged the squad members on, their anxiety plain to see.
He led them at a near-run to the grain storehouse.
"Come on already, brother!"
Despite Paeng Se Gi's prodding, Se Yeong moved at a leisurely pace.
When they arrived at the storehouse, members of the Demon Subduing Squad were already loading rice sacks onto carts.
"Greetings, Squad Leader."
Yi Cheon Yeong bowed to the sly-looking middle-aged man.
"Come on in. The rice is loaded—just set off whenever you're ready."
"Thank you."
After the formalities, Yi Cheon Yeong and the squad inspected the carts and the horses meant to pull them.
There were four carts in total.
But their condition was abysmal.
The carts were rickety old wrecks, and the horses were so malnourished they looked pathetic.
"How are the carts and horses all in this state?"
Paeng Se Gi was the first to complain.
The squad leader flashed a sly grin.
"These are all we had left."
"Is that your idea of an answer?"
As Paeng Se Gi grew angry, the squad leader's expression hardened.
"If the carts and horses don't suit you, go to the stables and pick new ones yourselves, then load the rice."
"You...!"
"Enough."
Se Yeong raised a hand to halt Paeng Se Gi's outburst.
As Paeng Se Gi swallowed his rage, a glint appeared in the squad leader's eyes.
'Stopping the Mountain Beast Blade's fury with a single gesture.'
"Great Hero Han, if we want to move fast, we need to swap out the carts and horses."
Se Yeong shook his head at Yi Cheon Yeong's advice.
"Just go with these."
"We'll lose before the match even starts."
Dang Ok looked stricken, but Se Yeong climbed onto a cart anyway.
The squad members reluctantly followed suit, taking their seats at the reins.
"When did the First Squad leave?"
Se Yeong turned to the squad leader, who was watching silently.
"About one shichen ago."
The man answered readily.
"Damn it."
"We're screwed."
Defeatist mutters escaped the squad members' lips.
Se Yeong, however, didn't care in the slightest.
"How much silver did they give you?"
The question made not just the squad members but the squad leader himself pale.
It was tantamount to asking how big a bribe the First Squad had offered.
But the squad leader quickly regained his sly smile.
"Two taels of silver."
"Perfect for a round of drinks with your men. See you later."
Se Yeong turned away and signaled the carts to depart.
"Let's go."
Paeng Se Gi shook the reins, and the horses lurched into motion.
The squad leader watched the Tenth Squad's carts recede into the distance.
'Some real contenders have joined the Elusive Squadron.'
As soon as the carts exited the Murim Alliance grounds, Se Yeong issued orders.
"Head to the rice shop in town."
"Why the rice shop?"
Paeng Se Gi asked from the driver's seat, puzzled.
"Why do you think? To sell the rice. Sell it here and buy more near Fierce Tiger Mountain."
Kuhahaha...!
Paeng Se Gi laughed so hard it seemed to shake the heavens.
What a satisfying counterstrike.
But he wasn't without worries.
"As expected of you, brother. Still, the Strategist will blow a fuse if he finds out."
"It's fine. We transported the rice, after all."
Kuhuhu... Hahaha...
Paeng Se Gi laughed again as he steered toward town.
He didn't care if the Strategist raged.
He'd only said it out of concern for the squad.
As the lead cart headed for the rice shop, the others followed suit.
"Shopkeeper."
Paeng Se Gi hopped down upon arrival and called out.
The rest of the squad pulled up behind him.
"Se Gi, why are we here?"
Paeng Se Gi gave Yi Cheon Yeong the same answer Se Yeong had.
"Why do you think? To sell the rice. Sell here and buy more near Fierce Tiger Mountain."
"What?"
The squad members gaped at him before turning to Se Yeong in unison.
"The Strategist will be furious."
"Has any Murim Alliance warrior ever sold rice privately like this before?"
Yi Cheon Yeong shook his head.
"Not once, to my knowledge."
"Then we're good. If the Strategist finds out, we just deny it."
The squad members stopped fretting.
They knew this was the only way to have a shot at beating the First Squad.
"How much for a sack?"
Yi Cheon Yeong stepped forward as the shopkeeper emerged.
"One tael and five mun."
They bought at one tael five mun per sack, so selling would fetch at least two or three taels thirty mun more, no doubt.
With a tael buying a sack elsewhere, prices here were definitely steep.
"We'll sell it all."
As Yi Cheon Yeong offloaded every sack, Paeng Se Gi asked.
"What about the carts, brother?"
Instead of answering, Se Yeong called to the shopkeeper.
"Can you store our carts and horses until we return? It'll be about five or six days. Use them as you like in the meantime."
The middle-aged shopkeeper was sharp as a tack.
"I'd be grateful, but I still have to charge for the horses' feed."
"How much?"
"Ten mun."
The squad members were the ones hurting more for it.
In the end, Yi Cheon Yeong paid the ten mun for feed.