Chapter 323: Chapter 323

“Haa…”

“Heo…”

Jang Sam-tae had not been back long since running away. Of course, even though most of his wounds had healed, his body was still not in a state to overexert himself.

In a situation where they should be resting, the two were expelled from the house without even being able to enter, wandering the streets of Yueyang.

There was no place they could go.

Hong Won-chang’s house was no longer an option because the lady of the house was giving them cold looks, and the Golden Ring Inn was out of the question as it was a place where Dan Woo-hyun’s influence was heavily felt.

Sitting down in the middle of the street in Yueyang, Jang Sam-tae let out a long sigh and slumped his shoulders.

“How did it turn out like this?”

“How did it turn out like this indeed…?”

The two said the same thing and laughed absurdly. Zhuge Un only wanted to examine the state of the Myriad Gold Inn, and Jang Sam-tae simply did not like the inn that made tasteless food.

Being kicked out of the house for at most such reasons?

From the perspective of those who did not have a single silver coin left, it was only embarrassing.

“How is it that you spent all the money you had?”

“It was given to me to spend, you human!”

When Zhuge Un shook his head with an absurd expression, Jang Sam-tae shouted in anger. When did he give it to him to spend, only to say this now?

“Did we not even eat properly!”

“If you go out, there are plenty of places to spend it! Gambling a bit… buying Mae-hyang a present…”

“Hoh… pretending to have no interest… tsk tsk.”

“Then what should I do? The place I took her to was extremely tasteless and I made a mess of it before coming out. I was self-conscious too!”

On the way back, he had bought Mae-hyang an expensive ring. One that was expensive enough to make eyes roll.

Since it was enough to pay more than half of the money Zhuge Un gave, after buying a ring and eating this and that nearby, the large sum of money had vanished in a flash.

“If we had at least that money, we could have gotten an inn…”

“What is the point of saying that now? It is already in the past! Now we must think of the future.”

Jang Sam-tae looked at Zhuge Un with an absurd expression.

“What future are you talking about? We just have to wait to become corpses.”

Zhuge Un stared into space with eyes like those of a dead fish. He was told to do in just a month what would be impossible even if it took several months.

That was simply telling them to die.

“The heavens are heartless too…”

“Heartless my foot. Originally, the heavens do nothing for you.”

However, as if he had not given up, Jang Sam-tae stood up abruptly. Although he was a bit hungry and tired, moving was a hundred times better than slacking off.

“It is that man of all people. Seeing that he gave us a month, there must be something we can do.”

“Do you mean things like cleaning our bodies before becoming corpses?”

“No, you human!”

Jang Sam-tae exploded in frustration and huffed.

He did not like Zhuge Un whispering like someone who had lived their whole life. Indeed, if it was someone who knew Dan Woo-hyun’s personality, they would know that most of his words came from the bottom of his heart.

But.

“Even so, that man does not command the impossible…”

“Hahaha, you lie well too. It seems like he is just telling us to prepare a coffin during the one-month time.”

“I said it is not!”

Looking at Jang Sam-tae shouting, Zhuge Un let out a smirk. Although he might not know the man named Dan Woo-hyun as well as Jang Sam-tae did, he did not think that man of all people would order something impossible.

“So first… well… hmm!”

Jang Sam-tae clutched his head and groaned.

It seemed like he should start something for now, but he had no idea what to do first. If he could just catch a single thread of clue, it would be enough.

Then, Zhuge Un glanced to the side.

Seeing something, he smiled without realizing it.

“You… do you know how to do some carpentry?”

At the cryptic words, Jang Sam-tae tilted his head.

* * *

“You are not really going to kill them, are you?”

Dan Woo-hyun, who was feeding the carp released in the pond early in the morning, put on an incomprehensible expression as he looked at Zhuge Yeon and Namgung So-hye who suddenly visited.

Although there was even some poison in Zhuge Yeon’s gaze, it was a bit short of moving Dan Woo-hyun’s heart.

Dan Woo-hyun smiled slightly and scattered the carp feed, looking as if he knew what they were talking about but pretended not to know.

“What do you mean…”

“Do not dodge the question. There is no way the great Lord Dan does not know what I am saying, is there?”

Instantly, Namgung So-hye’s face turned pale.

It was none other than Dan Woo-hyun of the world. Seeing her cast a sharp look at such a person and speak bluntly without hesitation, she herself was scared.

‘B-be careful, Yeon-a. He is different from the people you have dealt with until now…’

She wanted to say such words but they did not come out of her mouth. However, since Zhuge Yeon was not someone who did not know that, she just quietly watched the situation.

“Even if he looks somewhat dazed like that, he was a person who moved the Martial Alliance. It makes no sense to kill him just because he did a laughable thing once, so I am asking.”

“I am the one who judges that. In my eyes, your father and that fellow Sam-tae do not look any different, do they?”

“That…”

Zhuge Yeon could not deny it. Although at a glance Zhuge Un might look better, those who knew Zhuge Un’s actual personality would think they were similar.

Unconsciously dazed, and unconsciously committing foolish acts frequently, that was Zhuge Un.

“Y-you caught on well.”

Breaking out in a cold sweat, Zhuge Yeon put on an incomprehensible expression. It was filled with surprise, as if something that could never be caught by other people had been caught.

“There are many cases where what is visible is not everything. Your father is also like that. Of course, Sam-tae is the same.”

“No, that Jang Sam-tae guy is just exactly as he looks, though?”

Disliking the comparison of Jang Sam-tae and her father, Zhuge Yeon frowned. No matter how similar their personalities were, one was a strategist who made the world shake, and the other was at best a thief who wandered around playing the slacker.

These two could not be completely the same.

“Well, in any case, do not say strange things and do not try to put them into practice! I came to say that.”

“Are you worried?”

At Dan Woo-hyun’s single sentence, Zhuge Yeon put on a somewhat awkward expression. If asked if she was worried, it was natural to be worried. Since he had kicked them out without a single penny and given them an embarrassing task.

However, as if she did not want to reveal it, Zhuge Yeon’s expression turned somewhat coy.

“H-hmph! I am not!”

“Haha, if you are that worried, go and help them. It won’t be bad to see for yourself what they do during the month.”

“…Is that allowed?”

“Yes.”

Once Dan Woo-hyun’s permission was granted, Zhuge Yeon showed a bright smile. However, when she felt Namgung So-hye’s gaze, she unconsciously hid her expression and coughed dryly.

“I… I am not worried, but since it is a difficult problem, I will make sure to achieve it under the name of the Zhuge Family. Since I am going for that reason, do not misunderstand.”

With those words, Zhuge Yeon turned her back. Whether the gazes of the two watching blankly were very uncomfortable, her walking steps were gradually but surely speeding up.

Watching that, Namgung So-hye burst into laughter.

“May I go as well?”

“Yes, going and helping is also fine.”

“…By any chance, were you expecting something like this?”

Namgung So-hye looked at Dan Woo-hyun with a suspicious gaze. Because casually telling them to help was somewhat distant from Dan Woo-hyun’s usual self.

If there was any difficult matter, it was Dan Woo-hyun’s belief that one must overcome it by oneself, and until now, it was also Dan Woo-hyun who made the people in this Hunan Dan Family keep that as an ironclad rule.

Yet today he tells them to help exceptionally easily.

Namgung So-hye was suspicious of that part.

“It could be so, or it could not be so.”

Smiling, Dan Woo-hyun did not give an answer.

But with just that single sentence, Namgung So-hye could realize to some extent.

‘To play with the former total strategist of the Martial Alliance in the palm of his hand…’

Of course, considering Dan Woo-hyun’s personality, he would not have targeted anyone in particular to fall for it. Except for Jang Sam-tae, that is. He would have predicted to some extent that people like Namgung Cheon or Sa Do-hak would jump in.

‘Since he almost cut off their allowances as well…’

Was cutting off the allowances a trap to make them fall into such a snare?

Namgung So-hye broke out in a cold sweat.

“So? What will you do for them if those guys bring down the Myriad Gold Inn?”

The one who quietly showed himself beside Dan Woo-hyun was none other than Sa Do-hak. When he suggested attacking the Myriad Gold Merchant Group first last time, Dan Woo-hyun strongly opposed it, so he did not look pleased at all that he was making other guys do the work instead.

His expression hardened fiercely.

“Nothing. Do you expect me to do something?”

“There must be something to make them excited.”

Sa Do-hak looked at Dan Woo-hyun with an absurd look.

If there is a whip, there must be a carrot too.

Only then will motivation arise, and loyalty will also develop.

Dan Woo-hyun did not seem to know such a thing at all.

“I see…”

“Hmm,” Dan Woo-hyun stroked his chin.

Overthrowing the great Myriad Gold Inn?

Although he did not say devouring it, if it turned out that way, they could obtain considerable profits. Also, since it could awaken vigilance in the Myriad Gold Merchant Group toward the Hunan Dan Family, they could kill two birds with one stone.

“You have the intention to check, do you not?”

At that moment, Namgung Cheon quietly came forward and muttered. At the word ‘check’, everyone looked at Dan Woo-hyun with a puzzled expression. It was because they did not know what he wanted to check.

“Whether Man Hu-ryang is still moving the Myriad Gold Merchant Group.”

“Haha.”

At Namgung Cheon’s words, Dan Woo-hyun smiled. Since it was neither affirmation nor negation, people had the certainty that Namgung Cheon’s words were correct.

The disappeared Man Hu-ryang and the Myriad Gold Merchant Group which had not moved until now.

It was thought that they were not completely unrelated.

“Even if that fellow has a brilliant brain, he does not have the strength to move a faction. So he won’t be the leader of the Blood Heaven. However, if he is moving the Myriad Gold Merchant Group, it is certainly a hindrance.”

Namgung Cheon repeatedly clenched and opened his fists, harboring resentment. Since he had still not resolved what he had to pay back to that guy, if he was in front of him, he might have torn his limbs apart and killed him.

“In any case, it is a simple poke. We must touch the hornet’s nest to make them move busily.”

At that single sentence, Sa Do-hak and Jeok Mu-seong scowled.

“We could just release mice and cockroaches…”

“I am telling you we should just go and smash it?”

The two spoke with resentful expressions.

However, on the contrary, Dan Woo-hyun put on an absurd expression.

“Because you guys try to do it too simply and ignorantly, it does not work.”

“I-ignorantly?”

“Yes.”

Sa Do-hak’s face turned crimson.

However, seeing Dan Woo-hyun nodding readily, whether he lost words, he closed his mouth tightly. Since he could not attack, he seemed even more resentful.

Enjoyed the chapter?

If you like our work, consider supporting us on Ko-fi. This site solely runs on donations. Every donation helps us keep translating!

Support on Ko-fi