Chapter 384: Chapter 384
Late at night, on the way to Chongqing, the groups from the Namgung Family and the Sichuan Tang Family decided to camp in the open upon meeting Sa Do-hak and Jang Sam-tae.
The sun setting quickly because they were deep in the mountains was one reason, and though they wanted to move as quickly as possible, the muddy ground due to heavy rain was another reason they could not move further.
Lighting a campfire also required considerable effort.
It was because since the trees all around were wet from the rain, lighting a fire itself had become quite a perplexing situation.
Even in such a situation, Jang Sam-tae managed to light a fire.
It was only natural for people to gather snugly around the blazing fire. It was to dry their wet bodies and drive away the cold.
“Hehe, how is it? Is it delicious?”
Jang Sam-tae boiled porridge using the grass nearby and fish scooped from the water. Although it was not an amount for many to eat to their fill, it was enough to simply settle dinner.
“Hmm… not bad.”
Tang Jung-ak nodded while savoring the taste.
However, Namgung Yong was glancing at something with a frown, wondering what was so dissatisfying.
That was the case for most of the Namgung Family’s people, the reason being that the amount of porridge contained differed despite the bowls being all the same.
Namgung Yong looked at Jang Sam-tae with a dumbfounded expression.
“Look here, it seems the amount in the Tang Family Head’s and mine are somehow different?”
“Ah, seriously, why is a man so petty? You can just eat. Even if so, it’s only a difference of one or two spoonfuls.”
“Pe… Petty?”
At Jang Sam-tae’s outspoken words, Namgung Yong was flustered.
Moreover, this was not a difference of about one or two spoonfuls.
It was a difference of at least five spoonfuls to at most ten spoonfuls. This was by no means a small amount.
Above all, what irked Namgung Yong’s mind was none other than Jang Sam-tae’s attitude.
In fact, it would be no exaggeration to say the Namgung Family had a deeper connection with the Hunan Dan Family than the Sichuan Tang Family, but did it not seem as if the Namgung Family was not even in Jang Sam-tae’s sight in his behavior?
“Look here, I…!”
In the end, when the angered Namgung Yong tried to protest, Tang Jung-ak spoke up before him.
“I will give you more of mine. Would you like to eat?”
“No… it’s not like that, Tang Family Head, I…”
“Is it not merely food? I shall stop eating, so you have more.”
“…….”
Namgung Yong momentarily felt like he had become a fool.
Even more, Tang Jung-ak’s words made him angrier. Tang Jung-ak’s behavior looked mean to the point that he wondered if this was what was meant by the saying that the sister-in-law who stops the beating is more hateful than the mother-in-law who beats.
“No, I am fine. You have it.”
“Hum… if you say so…”
Tang Jung-ak nodded with a pleased expression.
It was an expression as if he had won a battle with the Namgung Family. Even more, since Jang Sam-tae flattered him by his side, no matter who Tang Jung-ak was, he could not help but feel good.
“Your cooking skill is good. Such skill is not common even in Sichuan, you know.”
Tang Mun-hye also felt good.
No, most of the Sichuan Tang Family members in that spot could not help but feel good. With the Family Head of the Namgung Family under heaven right in front, how could they not feel good when he raised the Tang Family?
Tang Mun-hye looked at Jang Sam-tae with a subtle smile.
“Hahaha, Young Lady! This Sam-tae, you see, cooks the best in the Hunan Dan Family, no, in all of Hunan! There is no one who can follow this Sam-tae in cooking.”
“Umm? Is that so? But it is truly delicious.”
Tang Mun-hye nodded once again while savoring the porridge. She had no interest in whether Jang Sam-tae’s words were true or not, but it was unmistakable that this porridge was delicious.
“…….”
However, another person watching all of those situations also felt his stomach turn. Although he was not visible due to the mask, his fierce eyes made him look not just slightly angry.
“Sam-tae.”
“Yes?”
Did he feel a bad energy in the voice?
Jang Sam-tae exerted his survival instinct and replied immediately.
Turning his head, he saw Sa Do-hak raising his eyes. Realizing what he was trying to say, Jang Sam-tae jumped up from his seat and scraped the remaining porridge, putting it in a bowl.
“Hehehe, I brought it to look after Elder, of course.”
“…….”
Sa Do-hak cast a dumbfounded gaze.
He was not particularly hungry.
Nor was he angry due to the situation where he could not eat even if he wanted to because he could not show his bare face under the mask.
He just did not like Jang Sam-tae’s appearance at all.
“You bastard, that damn personality of yours is never fixed at all.”
“Hehe, do they not say a person should not change suddenly? This Sam-tae will change slowly.”
“…….”
“…….”
Jang Sam-tae and Sa Do-hak looked at each other, saying nothing.
Jang Sam-tae, breaking into a cold sweat, had to rack his brain to pass this crisis somehow, and Sa Do-hak racked his brain hard on how to bury this fellow.
“How about sleeping now?”
At that moment, Tang Jung-ak spoke as if breaking the atmosphere of the two. Realizing that, Sa Do-hak cast an entirely displeased gaze, but even so, he could not scold Tang Jung-ak.
In the end, they had to lay out bedding.
Since a considerable time had passed after the rain stopped, they would be able to sleep somewhat comfortably.
Also, because campfires were lit here and there, they did not seem likely to shiver from the cold no matter where they slept.
However, Sa Do-hak closed his eyes while leaning against a tree as if trying not to mix with them.
Although he looked to be sleeping, he was bizarrely flawless, looking as if even if someone targeted Sa Do-hak, they could never succeed.
Tang Jung-ak let out a groan while watching that.
‘A truly remarkable person. We won’t even be able to touch him on our side.’
Grasping the opponent’s capacity can be called the basic of a fight.
Tang Jung-ak wanted to find out the strength of the Hunan Dan Family quickly, and right now was a perfect opportunity.
“Wood is slightly lacking. Would you go gather some wood with me?”
Ultimately, Tang Jung-ak looked at Jang Sam-tae and asked.
Jang Sam-tae, who was laying out bedding here and there, looked at Tang Jung-ak with a peculiar expression.
“Wood is scattered all over the place, though?”
“Pfft!”
“Heheh.”
It was not said merely as a joke, but wood was truly scattered all over the place. Since this was a mountain, there was no place without wood.
Perhaps due to that, at Jang Sam-tae’s bold reply, sneers burst out in various spots.
Especially from the Namgung Family side.
Tang Jung-ak’s face turned bright red.
Because Jang Sam-tae, who did not grasp the meaning contained in his words, looked so foolish, he let out a hollow laugh.
Tang Jung-ak, whose eyes trembled, spoke once again.
“It is not only wood. Since we must also obtain some food for tomorrow. Why? Do you dislike going together with me?”
‘Would you like it if you were me, you bastard?’
Jang Sam-tae spat out curses inwardly.
He groveled to Tang Jung-ak because Sa Do-hak said he was an opponent he could never win against, not because he liked groveling.
Isn’t the Sichuan Tang Family originally a family more toxic than a ghost, paying back tenfold if they suffer?
Being together with such a person was indeed a perplexing situation for Jang Sam-tae.
“Go and come back.”
At that moment, Sa Do-hak, who was quietly closing his eyes, gave permission. Momentarily, he glared at Sa Do-hak as if to kill.
He wanted to say absolutely no, but because Tang Jung-ak’s gaze was so painful, his mouth did not open.
“Ah, I understand…”
Jang Sam-tae reluctantly stood up.
His figure walking ploddingly was like looking at a death row convict going to die.
“Tsk tsk, even a fellow whose liver has come out of his belly seems to find the Sichuan Tang Family scary.”
Sa Do-hak said such things and quietly closed his eyes.
* * *
Fumbling around.
Jang Sam-tae gathered wood. Choosing only small pieces, as light as possible.
Those that looked slightly heavy, he stealthily threw toward where Tang Jung-ak was.
Since it was Tang Jung-ak who spoke of going to gather wood in the first place, he thought it would be fine even if he carried them a bit heavily.
“Haha, more wood than I thought.”
“Hehehe, it will easily last until tomorrow morning.”
Jang Sam-tae spoke roundly about returning immediately. It meant not to waste time in vain when there was no longer a need to gather wood.
However, whether he understood the meaning or pretended not to know, Tang Jung-ak merely smiled.
“Come to think of it, did you say you are the Hunan Dan Family’s servant?”
“Yes yes, that’s right. This Sam-tae is precisely the Hunan Dan Family’s servant.”
There was no soul in Jang Sam-tae’s reply.
Since he felt a heavy burden just being together, he only felt an earnest desire to escape even a bit quickly.
“You seem to have quite a lot of pride in being a servant.”
“Is that not natural! This Sam-tae! Lives as the Hunan Dan Family’s servant and dies as their servant!”
No falsehood was felt in Jang Sam-tae who replied while thumping his chest. Because his eyes were filled with pride, he really looked to find being a servant good.
Tang Jung-ak cast a dumbfounded gaze.
If it was a guard, he might understand, but he could not understand what made a servant who at most swept the yard and did chores so full of pride.
But he called him out because he was such a foolish fellow.
Wasn’t it more efficient than approaching the one wearing the mask?
Tang Jung-ak slowly spoke while picking up a piece of wood.
“Ah, the one I saw last time was the Hunan Dan Family Head, right? How old is he again?”
“Age, what age… a decayed human… his belly is filled with nothing but maggots.”
“…….”
At the meaningless reply, Tang Jung-ak turned his head and looked at Jang Sam-tae. His way of speaking while grumbling looked considerably dissatisfied.
Even more, no falsehood was felt in the words he spat out just now.
“Ha, haha, isn’t there… a background or a sect? If he is that strong, naturally…”
“Ah, that human’s origin is the bottom of Dongting Lake… and I do not know the sect well. Ah, since beating people is his specialty, he must have learned dogfighting somewhere, that human.”
“…….”
Tang Jung-ak looked at Jang Sam-tae with a dazed expression.
Unlike his expression full of pride in being a Hunan Dan Family servant, he was cursing in earnest.
Because only his sincerity was conveyed in the words spat out while grumbling, Tang Jung-ak broke into a cold sweat despite himself.
Then, suddenly recalling something, he spoke.
“Come to think of it, just who are the Gentleman’s Sword, the Demonic Sky Ruler… and the Demon Face? I was exceedingly curious.”
“Ah, those people?”
Jang Sam-tae, who was grumbling, spoke naturally.
Whether he took Tang Jung-ak’s words to ear casually, the reply also flowed out quite easily.
The moment Tang Jung-ak listened closely to every single word spat out.
“They are senile old geezers. How old are they that they wear masks and play hero, seriously?”
“…….”
Crack!
Tang Jung-ak broke the wood he held in his hand.
Something completely different from the expected answer flowed out. Whether he felt like a fool for listening closely, his expression hardened grimly anew.
At that moment, Jang Sam-tae looked at Tang Jung-ak casually and spoke.
“And there is a tremendous secret in the Hunan Dan Family. This is a very important thing, you see.”
Tang Jung-ak pricked up his ears once again.
As if it would not end simply if he uttered nonsense this time, his eyes rose fiercely.
Also, since the flowing momentum strongly stimulated Jang Sam-tae, cold sweat was already wet on the face of Jang Sam-tae who spat out the words.
However, Jang Sam-tae looked at Tang Jung-ak with a confident expression and said.
“Any bastards who touch, dig into, or insult the Dan Family are all beaten to death. No matter who that is.”
Jang Sam-tae sneered while staring intently at Tang Jung-ak.
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