Chapter 37
Chapter 37
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: 100,000 Nyang in Silver
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The squad members ate and drank their fill, but Sa Sa Un couldn't.
It was because Se Yeong's glare was too frightening.
'Why the hell is he staring at me like that?'
While sneaking glances at him and picking at the red-and-white fish stew, Sa Sa Un suddenly looked down at the chunk of meat on his chopsticks.
Come to think of it, he'd been eating nothing but the red-and-white fish stew this whole time.
'So that's why he's been glaring at me.'
With his belly full, he abruptly stood and headed into the kitchen.
"Tell me the secret to making this red-and-white fish stew."
The head chef jumped in surprise when a strange young martial artist suddenly barged into the kitchen.
"S-secret? What do you mean, telling you the secret?"
Normally, he'd have walloped anyone making such a ridiculous demand over the head with his ladle.
How could anyone casually share a recipe secret with a stranger?
But the man was a martial artist with a sword at his waist.
Messing with a hot-tempered one of those could cost you your life.
"What do you plan to do with the secret...?"
"Make meals for the Murim Alliance squad members."
"Ah... You're from the Murim Alliance?"
The chef's face lit up immediately.
Alliance warriors wouldn't go around killing people willy-nilly.
"That's right."
"Watch closely how I make the red-and-white fish dish."
Shlick, shlick, shlick...
The chef began prepping the red-and-white fish.
If it had been another cook asking, he'd have fed him a fake recipe.
But this was a young Murim Alliance warrior—no way he'd replicate it perfectly after one look.
"Thanks."
Sa Sa Un was wallowing in self-loathing right now.
If he'd been stronger, he wouldn't have suffered this humiliation.
He despised himself for kowtowing to Se Yeong's gaze.
But his eyes were locked on the chef's hands.
Hahaha...!
Kekekeke...!
While Sa Sa Un learned the recipe, the squad members drank and reveled heartily.
"Damn bastards..."
Uwahaha...!
Stepping out onto the street, Yeonggak laughed uproariously, stripping off his upper robe.
The squad members had drunk plenty, but Yeonggak had downed double what they had.
"Is that guy a monk or a drunkard?"
The squad members scowled at his plastered state.
"Is this paradise or what? No other paradise than here. Are there other worldly cares? This place is all the care there..."
Drunk off his ass, Yeonggak mumbled nonsense.
Passersby pointed and clucked their tongues at him.
Tsk tsk...
"No temple has a monk like that."
"They say there are plenty of fake monks around, and here's one."
Paeng Se Gi flushed at the mockery.
It felt like they were jeering at him, not Yeonggak.
"Hey! Cut it out!"
Paeng Se Gi yelled in anger, but Yeonggak ignored him completely.
Grrr... Woof! Woof!!
Right then, a black dog sitting by the roadside started barking fiercely as Yeonggak approached.
Yeonggak stared blankly at the snarling old mutt.
"Om mani padme hum. So the Paenghu was here."
Paenghu was a legendary yokai: a black dog with a human face.
Woof! Woof...
The black dog charged at Yeonggak, barking viciously.
Yeonggak didn't hold back either, lunging at the dog and tearing into its flank.
Yelp... Yelp...!
The ferocious dog howled in agony as Yeonggak bit even harder.
"Ugh..."
"The dog bit the dog."
The squad members turned away in unison, not wanting to see the spectacle, while Se Yeong strode right up to him.
Thwack...!
One kick sent Yeonggak flying into a wall.
The freed black dog bolted without looking back.
Yeonggak sprawled on the ground and passed out cold.
"Urgh... Paeng Se Gi... you were the Paenghu... zzz..."
At the delirious babble, Paeng Se Gi clenched his fists and charged.
Paenghu, the legendary monster, was said to be a dog with a human face.
"You bastard..."
Thwack...!
His punch whipped Yeonggak's face to the side.
Se Yeong raised a hand to block Paeng Se Gi from swinging again.
"You'll kill him. Enough."
"Haa... Yes, Brother."
As Paeng Se Gi regretfully stepped back, Se Yeong turned to the squad.
"We'll rest here tonight and head back in the morning."
They'd drunk too much anyway—it was too late to make it back to the Alliance.
"Understood, Brother Han."
Heh heh...
"Don't chew him out too hard even when he sobers up."
Instructor Kang seemed amused by Yeonggak's antics.
Haha...
Se Yeong chuckled along.
"He fits right in with Tenth Squad."
With one side of his face bruised purple, Yeonggak entered the Murim Alliance alongside the squad.
The members stole glances at his face, but he acted like nothing was wrong.
"Om mani padme hum. Buddha wielded the rod for this irreverent disciple."
"Good thing you know it."
Even Paeng Se Gi's snide remark didn't faze him.
Se Yeong, walking silently, glanced around at the squad.
"Say you saw and heard nothing at Sabaek Castle. Don't mention any letters or documents either."
The abrupt order didn't faze or surprise the squad members.
"Any special reason?"
"As I said before, I've arranged with the Alliance to get paid for each job I do, instead of a salary."
The squad had heard the story before and understood.
"We get your meaning, Brother Han."
Se Yeong's steps took them past the wide training grounds to the Strategist's Hall.
"Tell them Tenth Squad has returned from Sabaek Castle."
The guarding warrior ducked inside.
"Come in."
The warrior emerged, bowing at the waist, and Se Yeong and the squad climbed the stairs into the room.
"Good work, Instructor Kang. All of you did well."
The Strategist greeted them with a gentle smile.
But inside, his thoughts were a whirlwind.
It was a miracle the whole squad returned safe, but he'd never expected them back like this.
'How did Tenth Squad get back so fast?'
Two possibilities came to mind.
One: they'd rushed to Sabaek Castle nonstop day and night.
Two: they'd dawdled outside and come back.
But given Han Se Yeong and the squad's nature, the second seemed unlikely.
As he was about to ask, the Strategist spotted the young monk with the bruised face and tilted his head.
Did Tenth Squad have a monk?
"Who might you be?"
Yeonggak politely clasped his hands.
"Om mani padme hum. I am Yeonggak of Shaolin, newly joined Tenth Squad."
When had Shaolin's Yeonggak joined Tenth Squad?
The Strategist knew of him by reputation.
But he'd never joined the Elusive Squadron before.
"When... did you join Tenth Squad?"
His voice cracked with bewilderment.
"About ten days ago."
Ten days ago was when Tenth Squad had left the Alliance for Sabaek Castle.
Ugh...
A groan escaped the Strategist's lips.
Yeonggak was a prodigy; there'd be no objection to him joining Elusive Squadron.
But of all squads, why Tenth?
'Tenth Squad must be cursed.'
"Does Shaolin know?"
"No time to tell them, but they won't object."
"Very well."
In the end, the Strategist approved Yeonggak's enlistment.
"Tell us everything you saw and heard at Sabaek Castle."
No one in the Murim Alliance knew much about Sabaek Castle.
Rumors floated around like clouds, but they were unverified.
"We only saw crumbled walls and about a hundred warriors."
Yi Cheon Yeong spoke first, to preempt any differing accounts.
The squad nodded in agreement.
No matter how ignorant they were of Sabaek Castle, claiming only a hundred warriors made no sense.
"Did you meet the White Master?"
The squad met the question with silence.
The Strategist turned to Instructor Kang.
"Did you meet the White Master, Instructor Kang?"
Instructor Kang slowly shook his head.
"Unfortunately, we didn't even catch a glimpse of him."
The Strategist felt frustrated.
They'd gone into the enemy's heart and come back empty-handed?
"Then why did Sabaek Castle invite Tenth Squad?"
"This young hero here met the White Master. Ask him."
Instructor Kang tossed the matter to Se Yeong.
The Strategist's eyes gleamed.
"What sort of man was the White Master?"
Se Yeong answered as if he'd been waiting.
"Back when I first joined the Alliance, we made a deal. No salary, but payment for each job."
The Strategist remembered that incident.
He'd laughed it off as absurd, but now Se Yeong was bringing it up.
"And... what do you propose?"
His expression and voice grew heavy.
"Just hand over 100,000 nyang in silver. I'll give you some very valuable information."
100,000 nyang in silver?
The stunned Strategist stared blankly at Se Yeong's face, while the squad gaped and turned to look.
Haha... Hahaha...!
The Strategist laughed in disbelief.
"Are you joking with me right now?"
Se Yeong replied with a cold face.
"Does it sound like a joke?"
"Instructor Kang, return to your quarters. The rest of the squad too. Young Master Han stays."
The Strategist dismissed Instructor Kang and the squad.
Once they were all out, his tone sharpened.
"Are you really going to play it like this?"
"100,000 nyang in silver."
Se Yeong didn't budge.
"We don't have that much silver. Even if we did, I couldn't give it."
Appointing instructors for each Elusive Squadron team was necessary regardless of Han Se Yeong's request.
But 100,000 nyang for information was excessive.
Se Yeong pulled letters and documents from his bag and set them on the table.
"What are these?"
"Things merchants and bandits were keeping."
At Se Yeong's answer, the Strategist unfolded and examined them one by one.
His eyes trembled uncontrollably.
One letter showed the Jegal Family subtly demanding bribes from a merchant group.
Most shocking was the Moyong Family's letter to some unknown group.
It specified how many girls aged fifteen to eighteen they needed, and how many from eighteen to twenty.
Another mentioned young boys as well.
"Where... where did you get these?"
"Sabaek Castle."
"Then... we can't trust these letters and documents. Sabaek Castle must have forged them."
"Do you really think so?"
The Strategist couldn't answer Se Yeong's question readily.
Deep down, he knew they were genuine.
"What do you plan to do with these?"
"You keep them."
"As the Alliance Strategist, I have to report this to the Alliance Leader."
"That's what I want. Now pay up the 100,000 nyang in silver."
After staring quietly at Se Yeong, the Strategist stood and fetched a silk-wrapped box.
He pulled out a bill of exchange for 100,000 nyang in silver.
"Sorry you had to see me like this."
The Strategist handed over the bill.
'As expected, he's a good guy.'
Se Yeong nodded and pocketed it.
"Pretend you don't know about this for a while."
"I'll do that. But I won't wait forever."