Chapter 80

Chapter 80

"So that was what happened."

Dan Woo-hyun hugged Dan So-mi, who was not saying anything at all.

Even if she did not show it, she must have been deeply hurt. Although Dan So-mi usually smiled and tried not to get hurt no matter what happened, Dan Woo-hyun knew better than anyone that she was weaker at heart than anyone else.

As expected, Dan So-mi tightly grabbed his collar from his arms.

"Damn! Shibal! What on earth are they doing?"

At that moment, Jang Sam-tae, who had flung open the gate and walked in, spoke roughly. His face was filled with a dissatisfied expression and he was huffing, his face flushed.

Gwon Mu-jin, who was beside him, also did not have a very good expression.

"What is the matter?"

"No, the thing is, I went to the Yueyang marketplace to buy some necessary things, but all of them said they had no goods, or that someone else had already purchased them and left them in storage, and they refused to sell."

If only one or two out of those many merchants had done that, it could have been accepted. However, all the merchants refused to sell goods to them.

Jang Sam-tae could not shake off the dirty feeling that someone was playing tricks on them.

"Could it be that those bastards are playing games?"

Jang Sam-tae rolled up his sleeves, huffing. If that was the case, it seemed he would run off right away and make a fuss.

Even the shop owners he had become close with while living here for several months did so, causing fire to rise inside him.

"Ha, how could that be? No matter what, they would not use this kind of method. Are they not supposed to be an orthodox sect?"

"Hmph. It seems the Sword Emperor is still dreaming."

"What?"

Gwon Mu-jin chuckled.

At Jang Sam-tae's words, Gwon Mu-jin chuckled.

Having once belonged to the unorthodox path, he knew inside out how those called the orthodox sect behaved.

Of course, this would be the same whether one went to the orthodox, unorthodox, or outer regions, but by nature, those with power tended to look down on and suppress the weak.

That was the case now.

As Jang Sam-tae had mentioned earlier, the weak merchants in the marketplace were surely being threatened by the Pung Sword Sect.

"This is definitely the Pung Sword Sect's doing."

"That place is an orthodox sect belonging to the Murim Alliance."

"Whether they are orthodox, unorthodox, or the Demonic Cult, there are always rotten parts."

Namgung Cheon swallowed a groan.

He did not want to admit it, but he knew better than anyone that he could not just deny it. He grimaced and looked back at Dan Woo-hyun.

Even after hearing the story, Dan Woo-hyun remained silent. It was impossible to grasp what he was thinking from his expression.

Was he angry?

Or was he sad?

Or did he not care?

What was that calm gaze saying?

Soon, Dan Woo-hyun lifted Dan So-mi, who was in his arms, and said with a grin.

"Do not worry. You can just see your friends outside, and you can study even if you do not go to a place like an academy. I will find a good teacher for you."

"……Really?"

"Yes."

Watching that scene silently, Namgung Cheon, Gwon Mu-jin, and Jang Sam-tae were lost for words.

It was a state where no one would sell them goods or food.

This could be considered a truly major problem.

Although they farmed, the crops had not fully grown yet. Since they had to wait at least a month or two to eat them, it was no different from an immediate emergency in their food supply.

However, Dan Woo-hyun glanced around at them and chuckled.

"I do not know what on earth you are worrying about."

"No, there are ingredients that we must buy from the marketplace, and clothes too, so anyway, this is a big problem!"

Dan Woo-hyun let out a short sigh.

Then he recalled when he had first built this manor.

Actually, although Yueyang was nearby, it was about a two-hour distance away. He had absolutely no intention of going back and forth to buy and transport ingredients or goods.

Since he did not want to form relationships with anyone else either, Dan Woo-hyun's purpose was simply to live quietly here.

Of course, that had changed a lot because of Dan So-mi, but in the end, the situation was not much different from what he had first thought.

"It is okay. We can make clothes to wear, and for food, we can hunt like before. So-mi is confident in hunting. I might even catch a tiger soon."

"Roar-!" Dan So-mi raised both hands, behaving like a tiger. Unlike how she had been disheartened just a moment ago, she now seemed to have understood the situation a little and was trying to get used to this reality.

Dan Woo-hyun smiled and nodded.

"Yes, that is correct. Nothing changes."

"Ha…… Are, are you serious?"

"I am serious."

"B-but I cannot even make the liquor that the manor lord likes?"

"We can just make it. Do you not have good handiwork?"

"If…… you think of it that way, I am grateful, but still……"

Jang Sam-tae broke out in a cold sweat.

It was not impossible to prepare and eat food. They could gather edible ingredients from the mountain and cook.

But where would they buy the seasonings to put in the food, and with winter coming soon, where would they get warm blankets and clothes?

The things they had enjoyed so far vanished into thin air.

Jang Sam-tae saw his path of suffering ahead.

A few days later.

Hu Ja-ryeong, who was sitting in the office of the Pung Sword Sect, bit his lip.

A reaction should have come a long time ago.

By pulling strings at the Green Pine Academy, they had kicked out the only daughter, and they had rounded up and pressured not only the nearby merchants but also everyone who traded with them.

Since he had not heard any news of them entering Yueyang recently, it also meant they understood the severity of the situation to some extent.

But to think they had not visited the Pung Sword Sect?

'It is strange……. Something is really strange……'

Frowning, as he raised his head, the door of the office opened wide and a man came inside.

He was Yeok Do-gang, the first disciple of the Pung Sword Sect and Hu Ja-ryeong's right-hand man.

He was breaking out in a cold sweat.

"Well, how did it go? They must be packing their bags by now?"

"T-that is the thing……"

Yeok Do-gang was at a loss as to how to explain it.

Even though it was clear they must be suffering a significant blow, the manor was too peaceful.

As if to prove that a person could live without spending money, when they were hungry, they fished in Dongting Lake and hunted in the mountains to get by.

They were even making clothes and blankets using the hides of mountain beasts, and they were showing such thoroughness as to supplement their insufficient food ingredients by growing crops.

Yeok Do-gang, who had been watching that sight from afar, realized anew that what they had done did not work on them at all.

"What? Is that true?"

"It is, it is true."

"What kind of strange bastards are they……"

Ha, Hu Ja-ryeong let out a sigh.

Usually, if things went this far, it would not be enough for them to come crying and begging. Yet, because they escaped the situation so skillfully, the guy called the manor lord seemed to be no ordinary fellow.

"Where is Hyeon-seung? What is Hyeon-seung doing?"

"I, I went there a moment ago…… It seems he is having quite a hard time persuading the patrol officers."

"Having a hard time persuading them? What does that mean?"

"It seems the manor lord in that manor is no different from a divine being to the patrol officers. The ones who came in recently follow Hyeon-seung's words obediently, but the patrol officers who were there before protested, saying they must not touch that manor."

"Ha…… What nonsense is this……"

In the absence of the magistrate, the assistant magistrate, Hyeon-seung, inherits all authority. Thus, it was clear that his power could be considered mighty, so it was hard to easily believe that the patrol officers would go so far as to protest and refuse.

Hu Ja-ryeong held his throbbing temples.

"Send the kids to Hyeon-seung. Have them disguise themselves as patrol officers and chase them out right away!"

"Y-yes, I understand!"

"So you must leave this manor."

Hyeon-seung spoke with a confident expression as he looked at the people in front of him.

Having been appointed for nearly a month now, this matter was extremely important to him. It was because he could obtain a connection with the Pung Sword Sect, the martial arts sect that dominated Yueyang.

Furthermore, since the money he received from them was considerable, if he resolved this matter well, he might secure a reliable backer and become the magistrate of Yueyang.

Hyeon-seung came here with such insidious thoughts.

"."

"What?"

"What a crazy bastard……"

But the reaction was completely strange.

Although it was a position serving the magistrate, the rank of assistant magistrate was still a position that ordinary people could never treat lightly.

Nevertheless, these guys were raising their eyes at him.

"Where is Hong Won-chang?"

"You bastard! How dare you call the magistrate's name so casually! There is no need for you to know, nor will I tell you."

Jang Sam-tae and Gwon Mu-jin gasped at the sight of him shouting at Dan Woo-hyun. Their expressions seemed to say, 'He has gone completely mad.' Since he had even raised his voice, it would not be strange if he died soon.

"I see. Then what do you want us to do?"

"I told you to vacate the manor."

"We have nowhere to go?"

"That is for you bastards to figure out! Building a manor on imperial land and hunting without permission is enough to get your heads cut off."

"No, it is not! Daddy did not build this manor! It was here from the beginning!"

At that moment, Dan So-mi popped out and retorted.

She must have felt wronged in her own way, as she raised her voice and looked at Dan Woo-hyun. Her gaze seemed to ask, 'I am right, aren't I? Daddy did nothing wrong, right?'

"……Uh…… Y-yes, that is right."

Although he stuttered a bit, he nodded, and Dan So-mi's face became even brighter. Then she glared straight at Hyeon-seung, who was trying to pin the crime of building the house on Dan Woo-hyun.

"See?"

'See what? Anyone can tell it was built.'

'It has not been long since it was built though……'

'Haha, how on earth can anyone believe this?'

Gwon Mu-jin, Jang Sam-tae, and even Namgung Cheon shook their heads.

No matter how many times they examined this manor, not a single trace of repairing an already built house could be found.

Moreover, judging by Dan Woo-hyun's expression, this manor was definitely built.

"Ahem! Whether it was built or repaired! Living in this manor cannot be tolerated, so pack your bags and leave immediately!"

Hyeon-seung glared at Dan Woo-hyun with a triumphant expression.

It was an expression that showed he had nothing to fear. This was because the patrol officers who followed him and the disciples from the Pung Sword Sect were by his side.

Even if some kind of situation occurred, Hyeon-seung did not doubt that they would protect him.

At that moment, Dan Woo-hyun nodded.

"Understood."

"M-manor lord?!"

"My lord!"

At the sight of him nodding so submissively, Jang Sam-tae and Gwon Mu-jin looked at Dan Woo-hyun in surprise.

This was their home, so why did they have to listen to such unreasonable demands?

However, Dan Woo-hyun spoke calmly.

"It is too late today, so we will leave tomorrow."

"Hmph! You should have done that in the first place."

Hyeon-seung nodded.

He could give them about a day's leeway. In any case, this would fulfill his promise to the Pung Sword Sect.

"Then I will check again tomorrow. If you have not left by then, I will arrest all of you and hold you accountable for your crimes."

At his words, Dan Woo-hyun nodded.

Soon, after watching him disappear, he slowly turned around and walked toward the manor. The flustered Namgung Cheon and Gwon Mu-jin hurriedly followed behind him.

"W-will it be alright? If we leave this place now, we have nowhere to go……"

"Ah…… There is no need to worry."

Dan Woo-hyun let out a chuckle, wearing a deep smile.