53. Dealing with False Rumors Like This (3)
I looked at my escort warriors.
They shook their heads at my gaze.
"Our top priority is your safety, young master."
"I know."
But how could I, as a human being, ignore a child's desperate plea for life and just walk away?
Especially when I had the ability to help.
"Still, I want to save the child."
At my earnest plea, they nodded.
"Understood."
"Please prioritize your own safety, young master. We'll handle rescuing the child."
"I have a good idea."
I explained my plan to them. The two warriors pondered for a moment but nodded.
"That seems like the best approach."
"The division head said your martial arts are at least second-rate, so we'll follow your lead—but absolutely no overexerting yourself."
"Got it."
Soon, we headed toward the source of the child's cries and encountered a group of men.
"Black path scum."
As expected, they were from the black path.
A wave of disgust washed over me, but it was more bearable than before.
Come to think of it, Master said it would get easier as my internal energy grows.
There were four of them.
But none seemed particularly strong.
That made it feasible.
A child who looked about seven or eight was resisting their grasp.
"No! Where are you taking me?"
"To a real nice place, that's what we're sayin'."
"No! Please spare me! Save me!"
"Heh heh heh, scream all you want—no one's around. Folks don't come through here much."
He wasn't wrong.
That's why I'd come this way on purpose.
Suddenly, a question arose.
His speech and appearance screamed well-bred noble child.
So why was he wearing rough hemp clothes like a commoner's?
The fit wasn't forced either.
And how had a kid that age wandered so deep into the woods alone?
Then, the Yeo Eung-am warrior whispered softly.
"Over there, by him—a woman's dead."
Looking where he pointed, I saw a woman collapsed on the ground.
She appeared to have been stabbed in the back, and unlike the child's clothes, hers were fine silk.
In the end, they subdued the child and bound him tightly with tough cloth ropes.
"Ah, if only we could use paralyzing powder or sleeping drugs."
"What can ya do? The brat's got a constitution that resists that stuff."
"Fine. Let's move out."
"Hurry up. If we're late, those bastards'll throw a fit."
"Those guys are somethin' else. Teamin' up with lowlifes like us."
"How else ya gonna pull off a kidnapping in broad daylight?"
"True. This is our specialty."
"And they pay well to keep our mouths shut, so let's look forward to it."
They turned to glance at the dead woman.
"First, deal with that bitch."
"Yeah, thanks to her, snaggin' that young master was a breeze."
They dug a pit, dragged the woman's body over, and sliced open her jacket ties with a sword.
From their actions, these were true black path vermin.
I turned away, unable to watch anymore, and saw the eyes of my two escorts grow even colder.
They were waiting for the right moment.
Looks like you need that ruthless edge to survive in the martial world.
The moment the black path thugs let their guard down and loosened their weapons, the escorts sprang into action.
Whoosh!
Swish!
The hidden-weapon guard struck first, wounding them with projectiles.
The darts embedded precisely in their throats and wrists. His skill was impressive.
"Damn it!"
"We busted?"
"The Tang Family must've caught on!"
But their reaction to the darts was odd.
Tang Family? Why bring them up here?
Anyway, that was the signal.
The two warriors charged, and soon the clash of cold steel rang out fiercely.
I seized the opening to dash back to Palgap and the carriage.
My plan: while the warriors drew their attention, I'd rescue the child.
Palgap scooped up the child and bolted to safety.
By the time I arrived, the two escorts had already subdued all four black path thugs—without my help.
They were more capable than I'd thought.
No wonder the division head assigned these guys.
"It's over."
"Thank you for indulging my reckless request."
"No need to mention it."
"Truth be told, we couldn't just look away either."
I turned to check on the child. Palgap had already unbound the ropes and gag.
"You okay?"
The child looked up at my question.
"Who might you be? And what's your connection to those men?"
As expected.
His speech gave away his noble upbringing.
"I'm Eun Seo-ho. I work for the Eunhae Merchant Group. As for them...?"
I glanced at the black path thugs tied to trees, unconscious, and grinned.
"The guy who beat them senseless. Does that answer it?"
"So you saved me?"
"Yeah. You were screaming for help. We came running."
At my words, the child cupped his fists politely, quite composed for his age.
"If that's true, I am deeply grateful for saving my life. My family will reward you properly."
I chuckled at that.
"No need. I didn't do it for rewards. Just saw you getting kidnapped and acted."
"Pardon?"
"When someone's in danger and you can help, you should—it's the right thing."
"Uh..."
The child seemed flustered by my words.
"Still, we must repay you..."
"If you insist on repaying, then when you grow up and see someone in peril—if you have the power to save them, don't turn away. That'll be thanks enough."
His eyes sparkled as he gazed at me.
What? Why's he looking at me like that all of a sudden?
"Anyway, we should notify the authorities."
Then the child toddled over to the woman's body and stood silently in mourning.
I waited before asking.
"You knew her?"
"She was my wet nurse. They killed her right in front of me."
"..."
"Today, she wanted me to experience commoners' lives firsthand, dressed me like this, and we came out."
Now I understood the full picture.
Those black path thugs had ordered the nurse to dress the child in inconspicuous clothes.
But a child with a nurse like that should have escorts, right?
"Where are your guards?"
The child shook his head at my question.
"I don't know."
I sighed and approached the four black path warriors.
I kicked one hard in the gut.
"Urk!"
"Feeling awake now?"
"Wh-who?"
"Don't care if you know me. Got a question."
Even though we'd saved him, I couldn't just send the child off alone—not without confirming all threats were gone.
Better to see it through.
"Hmph! Think I'll talk...?"
Then Yeo Eung-am drew his sword and swiftly stabbed the man's thigh.
Squelch!
"Argh!"
Yeo Eung-am smiled faintly.
"Scum like this needs the stick."
The pain worked; the thug sweated coldly and spoke.
"Ask away."
"How'd you bribe the child's nurse?"
"W-well... we kidnapped her kid... Aaaargh!"
Yeo Eung-am twisted the blade still lodged in his leg.
I wanted to do that...
"Well done."
I praised him and turned back to the kidnapper.
"Then how'd you shake his escorts?"
"Those guys created a distraction on purpose..."
"Decoys to let the target's guard down?"
"Y-yeah. Heh heh. That's all—please, pull out the sword..."
"One last question."
"A-ask anything."
"Who ordered this? Someone's pulling strings, right?"
He couldn't answer, just sweated profusely.
"Needs more blood."
At his hesitation, Yeo Eung-am mercilessly twisted the sword.
"Gaaaaah!"
He broke at last.
"Hy-Hyeonginmun..."
What?
Hyeonginmun?
A name from my memories.
To confirm, I asked the child.
"Are you from the Sacheon Tang Family by any chance?"
He tensed slightly but answered.
"Y-yes, but how did you know?"
"Easy to deduce from a few clues."
In Sacheon, Tangga meant the Sacheon Tang Family.
A clan unrivaled in hidden weapons.
That's why they'd said "The Tang Family caught on" when hit by darts—they jumped to conclusions.
And their other signature: poisons.
The west where Sacheon Tang sat was dense virgin forest.
They'd mastered collecting, analyzing, and using venoms and toxic herbs.
Famous for horrors like Three Steps Gut-Ripper, killing before three steps.
That's why no paralyzing or sleep powders on the child.
Using poison assumes immunity for self, toxicity only for foe.
Trained from youth in resistance, it wouldn't faze him.
Dosing heavy enough risked the child's life—counterproductive.
But he still eyed me warily.
Fitting for a great sect heir.
I recalled what Jegal Yu-a had said: trained to suspect everything.
Then a key fact surfaced.
Great clans tattoo inner arm marks on young heirs—for identification if lost.
"Saw it when we saved you. Tattoo on your inner arm—Sacheon Tang mark, right?"
"Uh..."
"That's how I knew."
Finally, he relaxed and bowed.
"I see. Sorry for doubting you."
"No apologies. It's only natural."
Meanwhile, I sighed inwardly.
Confirmed: the child before me was Sacheon Tang's.
Kidnapping.
Sacheon Tang Family.
Hyeonginmun.
This trio matched an event I knew.
One day, Sacheon Tang's precious youngest son vanished.
The late-born heir.
They scoured the central plains, sent cooperation requests to merchant groups.
That's how I learned of it.
Five years passed.
Weary, as search faltered, the Murim Alliance raided Hyeonginmun.
Charged with human trafficking.
A black path sect masquerading as white—a hive of crimes including slavery.
There, they "found" the missing Tang heir.
They'd kidnapped him.
Tang got their son back, compensation for search costs, various interests.
Naturally, Tang backed the Alliance fervently.
But Hyeonginmun was an Alliance puppet.
I'd uncovered it investigating Baekcheon Merchant Group rivals.
Hyeonginmun linked to Baekcheon—and thus the Alliance.
A self-staged drama to win Tang support.
So I'd disrupted their play?
Somehow... satisfying.
I decided to escort the child home personally.
Meant to hand to officials, but knowing the culprits tied to Murim Alliance changed that.
They'd retry if they learned of failure.
Couldn't let that happen.
Direct drop-off safer.
Threatening the nurse meant they hadn't fully controlled Tang yet.
Home was secure, at least.
Our path anyway.
I said to the Sacheon Tang child,
"Alright, let's get you home."