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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 95
Chapter Title: The Namgung Sega's Granddaughter Returns
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Swish—
The boat rapidly approached the shore.
Seolhwa pulled up her clothes to cover her lower face as much as possible, lowering her head.
Outwardly, she appeared timid and cowering in fear, but in reality, she was hiding her face in case anyone recognized her.
– This is a problem.
Yugang sent a telepathic message, his voice troubled.
He was carrying Hwarin on his back.
After observing the river bandits' reactions for two days, it seemed they didn't particularly care even if Hwarin wasn't tied up.
There was nowhere to escape in the middle of the river, and they didn't seem to intend to harm Hwarin in the first place.
Even when Yugang took Hwarin and walked around, people only glanced at them, not showing much interest.
No, rather, they seemed satisfied with how well Hwarin got along with Yugang.
– The atmosphere is unusual. I think there's a master here.
They had only gotten closer to the Surochae, but Yugang seemed to sense something.
– Have you heard of the Yangtze River's Demon?
– The Yangtze River's Demon?
– Maeng Deungho, the Yangtze River's Demon. He's one of the top 100 masters. He's famous for his spear.
At the mention of 'top 100 masters,' Yugang's expression darkened.
Being among the top 100 masters meant he was a figure who had reached at least the Transcendent Peak Realm.
That alone made him insurmountable, but besides Maeng Deungho, there seemed to be at least ten more masters who appeared to be in the Jeoljeong Realm.
– Can we... escape...?
– No.
– What should we do?
– For now, we'll have to wait for reinforcements from the Namgung Sega. Until then, we need to be careful not to reveal our identities. Someone like Maeng Deungho would probably realize we're not ordinary children.
Avoiding Maeng Deungho altogether would be the best approach, but...
– Just in case, think of an excuse. Like how you came to learn martial arts.
– Okay.
***
The boat finally docked on land.
“Alright, hurry, move it!”
Yugang handed Hwarin over to Seolhwa, then went to move the boat's cargo.
When the cargo was almost entirely unloaded, the river bandit who was the boat's leader ordered the three of them to follow him.
He was a master of the Jeoljeong Realm, the strongest martial artist on the boat the two had been on.
“Wait here for a moment.”
Arriving in front of a tent, he left the three of them and entered the tent alone.
It was located in the innermost part of the Surochae and was the largest, indicating it was likely the Surochae Chieftain's tent.
– We're screwed. It looks like we have to greet the Chieftain.
Yugang also seemed to think avoiding Maeng Deungho was the best option, his face filled with worry.
Of course, since it was their first time at the Surochae, it was natural to greet the Chieftain.
Since the Surochae Chieftain was likely the one who ordered the abduction of the Namgung child, he would want to see Hwarin.
‘Would Maeng Deungho recognize me?’
Had she ever encountered Maeng Deungho at this age?
She was pondering the various possibilities of what might unfold.
The river bandit who had entered the tent emerged.
“Follow me.”
Yugang and Seolhwa exchanged glances.
– I'll take Hwarin.
Yugang took Hwarin, placed her to his left, and stood next to Seolhwa.
– You two are subtly alike, so it would be troublesome if someone recognized you.
He wasn't wrong. Seolhwa was currently concealing her identity as a child of the Namgung Sega and posing as a newcomer.
Inside the tent, it was dark. In the depths of that dark tent, Maeng Deungho sat slouched in a large chair.
Sunlight illuminated half his face, making his eyes invisible and his expression difficult to read.
“Is that the child?”
“Yes, Chieftain.”
The river bandit gestured with his chin, instructing Yugang to bring the child forward.
After a moment of hesitation, Yugang advanced towards the Chieftain, still holding the child's hand.
“That idiot...!”
The sound of the river bandit grinding his teeth was audible.
He was supposed to send only the child forward, but he stepped forward too!
“Who are you?”
Just as expected, Maeng Deungho asked Yugang.
His voice was deep, like a beast growling.
Yugang, still holding Hwarin's hand, bowed deeply towards Maeng Deungho.
“Hello, Chieftain! I'm Kang, the youngest one!”
His cheerful voice completely dispelled the gloomy atmosphere of the tent.
Silence fell.
The cheerful Yugang and the taciturn Maeng Deungho stood in a brief standoff. The awkward silence was broken by the river bandit who had accompanied them.
“Ch-Chieftain! He's the new youngest recruit on our boat! I was just about to have him formally greet you...”
Maeng Deungho raised a hand, stopping the river bandit mid-sentence.
“Is that Orthodox martial arts?”
“!”
Yugang's smile faltered.
Maeng Deungho had instantly recognized the nature of his internal energy.
Yugang tried his best to hide his surprise and replied,
“Ahaha, well, you see, there was a Hwasan martial arts school in the village where I lived. Ah, not that I actually attended the school, though. I couldn't afford to, but I really wanted to learn martial arts, so...”
Yugang clenched his fist and showed it.
“I beat it out of some guy who attended the school.”
He chuckled, "Heh heh."
Seolhwa's mouth slightly agape.
‘Was that the excuse he thought of?’
It was an absurd reason, but not bad at all.
An Unorthodox-style reason for possessing Orthodox internal energy, you could say. It was truly characteristic of Yugang.
“I see.”
That was Maeng Deungho's brief remark.
“I'll work hard, Chieftain!”
Yugang bowed deeply once more.
The river bandit signaled him to step back, but Yugang ignored it and remained by Hwarin's side.
Fortunately, Maeng Deungho didn't seem to mind much.
Maeng Deungho's gaze lingered on Hwarin for a moment before he spoke to Yugang.
“Take good care of this child.”
“Yes, Chieftain!”
That was the end of it.
The Chieftain told Yugang to leave, and Yugang took Hwarin's hand and exited.
Maeng Deungho's gaze briefly rested on Seolhwa, who was behind them, but then he quickly diverted his attention.
After their brief encounter with Maeng Deungho, the three immediately exited the tent.
Thwack!
The river bandit's fist landed a thwack on Yugang's head.
“You idiot! Why did you step forward there? It's a good thing the Chieftain didn't mind! Consider yourself lucky to still be alive!”
“Ow! That hurts!”
Yugang clutched his bruised head and took a step back.
“Brother, you told me to go out, so why are you scolding me?!”
“Was that *you* I told to step out?! Ugh! I could just...!”
The river bandit pounded his chest in frustration.
“Follow me! All three of you!”
The river bandit led them to an area where small tents were clustered together.
It was a different atmosphere from where the Chieftain's tent was located; most of the people were women carrying laundry or water buckets, suggesting it was the area responsible for the Surochae's daily life and provisions.
Its location was also the safest in the Surochae. A place where one could escape to the river or mountains if necessary.
‘Are these the river bandits' families?’
The river bandit who had brought the three of them stopped one of the women and explained something. Then he turned back to Seolhwa and Yugang and said,
“You two will help out with the work here. As you heard the Chieftain say earlier, looking after that kid is also your responsibility.”
The river bandit pointed at Hwarin.
“The Chieftain specifically told us to pay special attention to her, so don't let her go hungry. Make sure she has a good place to sleep. Well, there's nowhere to escape from here anyway, but just in case, keep her close so she can't run off. Until we come to get her again. Understood?”
“Yes, Brother!”
“Calling me 'Brother', eh?”
The river bandit patted Yugang's back, then left.
“…He really left?”
Yugang scratched his head, watching the river bandit disappear into the distance.
“Are we really that trustworthy? Entrusting a child they painstakingly abducted to kids like us.”
“It's not because we're trustworthy.”
Seolhwa turned her gaze, surveying the entire Surochae.
“It's because they know she can't escape even if they let her loose.”
A moment ago, the river bandit's words about there being nowhere to escape were not empty boasts.
The Surochae was surrounded by a river and mountains, truly making it an inescapable structure. They had erected a fence made of thick, large logs, and created two gates for entry and exit, one on the east and one on the west.
Watchtowers were erected at regular intervals around the fence, and river bandits stood guard both atop and below the towers, making it seem difficult to escape the Surochae unnoticed.
Even if they somehow managed to escape, it was a dense forest, perfect for getting lost.
Furthermore, since it was a Surochae, they would likely use waterways rather than land routes to enter and exit the main compound, and the land routes were probably not even properly maintained.
‘They wouldn't just leave a kidnapped Namgung child unguarded.’
They were confident. Confident that the child wouldn't be able to escape this place alone.
‘Maeng Deungho.’
He hadn't recognized Seolhwa.
From the moment they entered the Chieftain's tent, Seolhwa had secretly observed him, but Maeng Deungho showed no interest in her whatsoever.
Instead, he had shown interest in Yugang, who possessed Orthodox internal energy.
‘It's fortunate that he didn't recognize me, at least.’
Thanks to that, it seemed best to look for a way to escape while they still had freedom of movement.
– Little Chieftain. We should try to find a way to get out of here before it gets dark...
Just then.
“Hey, you guys!”
A young voice, shouting angrily, came from behind a nearby tent.
Yugang and Seolhwa looked in that direction simultaneously.
Behind a pile of straw next to the tent, a boy who looked as young as Hwarin stood pointing at them.
