Chapter 538: Side Story 38

Chapter 38

The place that could be considered their very first destination was Mount Wudang in Hubei. Because it was a place that could be called the pillar of the righteous faction along with Shaolin, which was called the birthplace of the martial arts world, it was also one of the places where the influence of the righteous faction was very strong.

Therefore, it could be considered a place like hell for those who had committed crimes or were wanted.

“Umm…”

Jang Sam-tae, who was driving the carriage, was sweating profusely. The gazes pouring in from everywhere were no joke. Even though he was wearing a bamboo hat and covering his face, it seemed to emphasize how suspicious he was.

However, the people soon turned their gazes towards the group behind the driver’s seat. It seemed they were more curious about the other unseen people than the one driving the horses.

“Phew… My flesh is trembling, really.”

“If you haven’t committed a crime, be confident.”

“No, Manor Lord! Those guys are all… guys who came aiming for my neck?!”

Jang Sam-tae looked at Dan Woo-hyun, who was sitting on the driver’s seat with him, and whispered softly. Knowing that he would be in great trouble if his voice was heard even a little by them, he kept his voice as low as possible.

He wouldn’t be scared if one or two attacked.

But if they attacked in a swarm, who would handle it?

Still, since it didn’t seem like Dan Woo-hyun or the other two old men would help, it would never be easy to break through that difficulty alone.

Maybe he would really die this time…

His two still young children and Mae-hyang flickered before his eyes.

Damn it… He shouldn’t have tagged along.

“Wait!”

At that time, someone blocked the front of the carriage and shouted.

Several men moved in perfect order and surrounded the carriage, and the one who seemed to be the leader approached and glanced at Dan Woo-hyun and Jang Sam-tae.

“We’re from the Heavenly Dao Society Hubei branch.”

“And?”

Dan Woo-hyun also gazed intently at the man.

There wasn’t even any emotion in his incredibly indifferent gaze. It was almost as if he was spitting out the words, ‘So what?’

The man purposely broke out in a cold sweat.

“I heard that the sinner the Heavenly Dao Society is chasing has entered Hubei. I’m sorry, but that person should take off his hat and reveal his face, and the people inside will all have to get down.”

“What?! These dog-“

At the word that was like an order, Jang Sam-tae flared up and jumped up from his seat. At that moment, the sound of drawing swords was heard from all directions, which was definitely not an illusion.

The warriors of the Heavenly Dao Society drew their swords all at once and aimed them at Jang Sam-tae.

It couldn’t be anything but very fast and precise movements.

However, Dan Woo-hyun didn’t even bat an eye.

He just smiled faintly and opened his mouth.

“If someone sees this, they’d think the Heavenly Dao Society is an organization acting under the Emperor’s orders.”

“Wh… What did you say?”

“I’m saying that whether it’s the Heavenly Dao Society or whatever, you don’t have the authority to block my path.”

Dan Woo-hyun’s expression and gaze were extremely cold.

In reality, the martial arts world was a place where only those with strength could raise their voices. Thus, having the Heavenly Dao Society as a background, the warriors holding swords for that place were like the Emperor’s power, at least in this Central Plains.

Every martial artist would think so.

Thus, people were holding their breath and watching.

“T-This guy dares to insult the Heavenly Dao Society?!”

Saak!

The man drew his sword in an instant and flew it towards Dan Woo-hyun. His sword-drawing skill, which was vastly superior to the others, made them feel that his skill was definitely not ordinary.

The blade stopped and threatened his neck by a hair’s breadth, and at that moment, someone popped out from behind and drew a sword.

Kang-!

“Keuk?!”

Clearly, the man’s side must have been much faster in drawing the sword.

But his blade bounced off absurdly and flew up, and then his body was pushed back by the rushing force.

“If you… swing your sword at just anyone, your neck won’t be safe, you know…”

Saaak-

The moment Namgung So-hye revealed her appearance, the wind blew.

Even Namgung So-hye, who revealed her appearance while spitting out words, seemed to find her current appearance quite cool, hanging a proud smile on her lips.

However, the blowing wind was as fierce as a storm, and her long hair began to flutter wildly in all directions.

“…”

“…”

Unlike her cool entrance, her long hair shot up and even swallowed her face, so to anyone who saw it, the word ghost descent would fit perfectly rather than fairy descent.

“You made a cool entrance. A ghost descent, huh…”

“I’m not a ghost!”

Namgung So-hye yelled with her face turning bright red. It was never what she wanted. Who would have thought that such a wind would blow at that moment?

Lowering her head, Namgung So-hye, unable to even lift her head out of embarrassment, went back inside the carriage.

At that sight, Jang Sam-tae cackled like crazy.

“Aigo, my stomach! I’m dying, I’m dying!”

“You be quiet too. Just drive the carriage.”

The men lost their words while looking at such a group.

Even though it was a threat, a ridiculous fast sword that popped out from inside the carriage and struck away his sword that had entered first.

Even in that situation where anyone couldn’t help but be surprised, they didn’t even care as if it were natural and were continuing their conversation.

They were not ordinary guys.

Gulp-

He swallowed dry saliva and broke out in a cold sweat without realizing it.

However, since letting them go without even inspecting them on this spot would be like smearing mud on the name of the Heavenly Dao Society, the man couldn’t just let them go nicely.

“Keuk… Right now…?!”

“L-Lord, aren’t you the Lord! Why in a place like this?!”

At that time, a loud voice was heard from somewhere.

The man frowned and turned his head, then subconsciously widened his eyes.

There would be no one in Yichang who didn’t know that face right now.

The magistrate and hero of Yueyang.

Wasn’t it Hong Won-chang?

He came running hastily with his subordinates and bowed his head in front of Dan Woo-hyun.

“Is it really the Lord? This isn’t a dream, is it?”

“It’s been a while.”

“Haha-! It seems it’s already been over a year since I greeted you. Now now, don’t stay in a place like this and let’s go over there. There’s a place where I’m staying.”

“Is that so? That would be good.”

Dan Woo-hyun also smiled slightly and nodded. As if he never thought this meeting was a coincidence, his expression was still calm.

At that time, the carriage door opened and Dan So-mi revealed her appearance.

“Wow- Mister, hello?”

“S-Isn’t it So-mi?! You were here too. Hahaha! This mister met a lump of luck today, a lump of luck!”

Hong Won-chang danced happily, whatever was so good.

As if he was thinking that he could finally shake off the worries he had been harboring for a long time, not only his expression but even his eyes seemed excited.

“Hurry-! Let’s go quickly! I’ll treat you big today. Hahaha-!”

Hong Won-chang smiled broadly and climbed onto the driver’s seat. Naturally, as Dan Woo-hyun went inside the carriage, the carriage that had been stopped all this while slowly started to move.

“…”

“What… is this?”

At that sight, the men of the Heavenly Dao Society had no choice but to stare blankly.

The piercing tension was nowhere to be felt, and those who had drawn their swords were unable to sheathe them, frozen like children not knowing what to do while looking at the departing carriage.

Hong Won-chang’s residence was the manor used by the Yichang magistrate. Therefore, it couldn’t help but be the largest, most massive, and magnificent place in Yichang.

Countless delicacies from land and sea began to be set across the large dining table.

Not only the famous dishes around here, but also things that couldn’t be easily found. Also, if one were to count everything tailored to Dan So-mi’s taste, the number alone would be over twenty.

It was a passage that showed exactly how sincere Hong Won-chang was towards Dan Woo-hyun.

“You probably don’t know how much I wanted to see you, Lord.”

Like someone flattering another, Hong Won-chang bought the most expensive alcohol and carefully poured it into Dan Woo-hyun’s cup. After that, he filled the cups of the two old men with a beaming smile.

“Whenever you miss me, it’s always when you are in a difficult situation.”

In an instant, Hong Won-chang was startled and widened his eyes.

However, he soon smiled radiantly and erased his expression, but his face was full of cold sweat, so his thoughts were read too easily.

Namgung Cheon clicked his tongue and Sa Do-hak raised his alcohol cup.

Weren’t they the two suffering the most damage because of Hong Won-chang?

“Hehehe, h… how could that be?”

“Somehow, you’re becoming more and more like Sam-tae.”

“Heoheo, act your age a little.”

Hong Won-chang shut his mouth for a moment.

As he glanced at Jang Sam-tae who was eating, the gazes of the two met. When Jang Sam-tae, frowning as much as he could, revealed an expression as if saying ‘What?’ with a reluctant look, Hong Won-chang also couldn’t hide his displeasure and twitched the corners of his mouth.

He was still a guy he didn’t like.

He deeply regretted why he didn’t throw him into prison back then.

“By the way… why is that guy here? He should have kids at home…?”

“Ahem! Why are you so interested in me? Let’s just mind our own business, us.”

“Hahaha- I’m just saying this because I’m curious. Could it be… I’m wondering if you abandoned your wife and kids and came out.”

“…E, Eyy, I, I got permission and came out, what…”

Jang Sam-tae sneaked his gaze away as if something was pricking his conscience. He had no intuition for other things, but strangely, his intuition was sharp when it came to Jang Sam-tae’s matters.

He subconsciously frowned.

“Then why are you here, Mister? Did you take on another case?”

At the same time Jang Sam-tae’s words flowed out of his mouth, Hong Won-chang sparkled his eyes.

In an instant, Namgung Cheon massaged his glabella, and a sigh leaked from Sa Do-hak’s mouth. Soon, the eyes of the two turned sharp and poured towards Jang Sam-tae.

“You idiot-like guy, really…”

“Heoheo… Even if one has no tact, to have none like this, goodness…”

“No, what did I do!?”

“That’s enough. It’s noisy so don’t raise your voices.”

Dan Woo-hyun also waved his hand with a reluctant expression.

To Dan Woo-hyun, Jang Sam-tae who asked something there was no need to ask, and Hong Won-chang who somehow tried to drag the conversation in that direction were all the same.

Dan Woo-hyun shook his head and opened his mouth.

“I just stopped by for a moment on business…”

The moment his mouth opened, Hong Won-chang stealthily clenched and opened five fingers. The moment they saw that, Namgung Cheon and Sa Do-hak were dumbfounded, and Dan Woo-hyun abruptly stopped talking.

Soon, as he stared at Hong Won-chang, he spread out five fingers once again.

“Right, what is it this time?”

“As expected of the Lord! I knew you would think of me!”

“It’s a bumper crop of bullshit, really…”

“Heoheoheo… They say money can make even ghosts work, and that saying isn’t wrong.”

The two old men looked at Dan Woo-hyun with dumbfounded expressions.

A guy known as the Martial God of the world, kneeling before money? He had amassed enough wealth to last a lifetime and still thought it wasn’t enough?

They let out a hollow laugh in disbelief.

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