Chapter 421
The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Trading Company Chapter 421
Chapter 421. Wedding Gift (3)
The head of the Eunhae Trading Company tilted his head at my words.
“Are you talking about me?”
“Yes. As the son of the head of the Eunhae Trading Company, how can I just stand by and watch the Gwangjun Trading Company suffer? I would like to lend a hand as well.”
Captain Bok nodded readily.
“So be it.”
“Thank you.”
“No, it is I who am grateful to you for helping my son.”
Then, Captain Bok took my hand and teared up.
Oh, come on.
Why are you making this so difficult for me?
I immediately changed my clothes and headed for the train.
“I'm sorry for making this decision on my own.”
The guards shook their heads at my apology.
“Don't say that.”
“We are your Liege's guards. It is our duty to follow you wherever you go without question.”
Seo Woo said.
“Of course, we are following you because we believe that you are not in danger. If we believe that you are in danger, we will stop you without hesitation.”
“I am careful with my own life, so you don't have to worry about me.”
“Are you sure?”
I couldn't help but flinch at Seo Woo's gaze.
It stung a little.
There was no ulterior motive behind this.
I just wanted to help my friend.
At that moment, someone approached me.
“I am Bok-deok.”
Judging from his surname, he seemed to be a member of the Trading Company's family.
“I am Eun Seo-ho of the Eunhae Trading Company. Excuse me, but how are you related to the head of the Trading Company?”
“I am the second son of the eldest son of the captain's brother.”
Huh...
It's close if you say it's close, but it's far if you say it's far.
“I see. I look forward to working with you.”
“I look forward to working with you as well. Are you ready?”
“Yes.”
“Then let's go.”
With that, we rode our horses and left the Gwangjun Trading Company.
We followed the mark left by the advance party that had started the pursuit.
The plains of Yōngning were indeed vast.
When we headed for the Northern Sea Ice Palace, we went northeast, but this time we were going in the opposite direction.
Then, instead of white snow, a vast grassland spread out before our eyes.
While resting our horses for a moment, I asked Bok-deok.
“Has this happened before?”
“Of course, horses run away quite often. But most of them are caught. It's very rare for them to run away like this.”
“I see.”
“What's more, we don't even know why they ran away this time.”
I see. We'll have to find out later.
For now, we must retrieve the horses.
We rode for more than half a day.
They really went far.
As it was a matter of urgency, we rode through the night and finally arrived at the barracks.
This is the barracks of those who started the pursuit.
“Whoa!”
As we approached, someone guarding the barracks ran toward us.
“Are you Captain Bok-deok?”
“Yes. Who are you?”
“I am Gu-il, one of Captain Sim's men. I will inform Captain Sim.”
Soon, a man came out of the barracks.
“Captain Bok-deok.”
“The Trading Company has sent additional pursuit forces. What is the current situation?”
“I'm sorry. We lost their trail during the pursuit.”
“You lost their trail? Shim Hyeongsu?”
He nodded with a serious look on his face.
“Yes. Something doesn't seem right. It feels like someone deliberately tampered with the evidence.”
Hearing their conversation, I asked him, “Did he say that someone tampered with the evidence?”
“Did you say someone tampered with the tracks?”
He looked at me and asked in confusion.
“Who is he?”
Bok-deok introduced me, and he quickly bowed his head.
“This is Jin-woo, the captain's assistant.”
“Nice to meet you. Please answer my question first.”
“Yes.”
He continued.
“I have been searching for horse tracks for over thirty years. No matter where a horse runs, I can follow its tracks.”
His words were full of pride in his abilities.
“Unless a horse disappears into thin air or sinks into the ground, it will always leave tracks. Horse shoes are made of iron, so they easily leave marks on the ground.”
I nodded.
“What's more, this is grassland, so the tracks are easy to see. That's the problem.”
He continued.
“There are too many tracks. They're everywhere...”
“Then...”
“Yes. Someone did this on purpose.”
I thought hard.
Someone who suddenly ran away and tampered with the traces.
This smells fishy.
“May I take a look?”
“Come this way.”
I followed him forward and arrived at the place where the traces remained.
Under the torchlight, there were traces scattered everywhere.
And I could feel an aura.
“...!”
This energy... It's faint, but it's definitely the energy of the Black Dao.
Someone from the Black Dao must be involved in this.
I don't know who it is yet, but their cowardice makes me shiver.
To do something like this just a few days before the wedding!
I will find the culprit.
“Let's rest and search again when it's light.”
“Yes.”
They all clasped their hands in response to Bok-deok's order.
I was also assigned a barracks. However, given the situation, our group had to stay together in one barracks.
I quietly called Seo Woo and Jin-yu.
“I have a favor to ask of you both.”
“Please speak.”
“From what I can see, this seems to be an act intended to harm the Gwangjun Trading Company.”
“We think so too.”
“Do you have any idea who the culprit might be?”
“I'm not sure yet, but I have a hunch.”
I continued.
“It's possible that another trading company hired the Black Swordsmen.”
“Did you say Black Dao?”
I nodded at Seo Woo's question.
“I told you before, didn't I? Thanks to my martial arts skills, I can sense the energy of Black Dao.”
“Yes, I remember.”
“I sensed the energy of Black Dao here. And Black Dao doesn't usually mess with large trading companies.”
Large trading companies have considerable military force and the financial resources and connections to take revenge.
That's why they don't mess with them.
“But if they were hired by another trading company, it's a different story.”
I looked at the two warriors.
"That's why I'm asking you two. Please return to the Gwangjun Trading Company. It is highly likely that those involved in this incident are still there.“
”You are worried about your friend.“
”Yes.“
”What should we focus on?“
”First, please protect Captain Bok and his family. And if you find anyone who is working with the Black Dao, please subdue them."
I continued.
“If you two do that, I can focus on pursuing the horses with peace of mind.”
“Understood.”
The two warriors immediately headed for the Gwangjoon Trading Company.
Now, let's start looking for the horses in earnest.
“Geum-ryung.”
“Kui?”
Geum-ryung poked her head out from inside my sleeve.
“It's time for an errand.”
Geum-ryung's eyes sparkled at my words.
“You smelled the horses on the way here, right? Go find them.”
At my request, Geum-ryung immediately ran off.
A moment later, Geum-ryung returned.
Judging by the time, they must be nearby.
However, I noticed that there was something red on Geum-ryeong's body.
Blood?
I was startled and hugged Geum-ryeong.
“Geum-ryeong? Are you hurt?”
Geum-ryeong shook her head.
“Kui! Kui! Kui-kui!”
“What? This isn't your blood? Do you need to go right now?”
“Kui!”
I hurriedly got ready and ran out with the guards. I told Palgap to inform the others.
“Let's go!”
At my shout, the horses galloped forward.
Geum-ryeong led the way in front of us. It was dark all around, but thanks to the light emanating from Geum-ryeong's body, we were able to move forward without difficulty.
How long did we run?
Soon, I understood why Geum-ryeong had called me so urgently.
Several bonfires lit up the area, and the lost horses had gathered there.
But...
Something was strange.
Some of the horses were frantically attacking people.
They must be the black-clad men who took the horses from the Gwangjun Trading Company.
“Hee-hee!”
“What are these crazy horses doing?”
“Where did they come from?”
They were in a state of panic from the horses' attacks. It was literally chaos.
However, the horses were not letting them get away easily, as they were bleeding.
Ah, that blood on Geum-ryeong's body must be from the horses.
“Koo-ee! Koo-ee!”
Geum-ryung was shouting.
What are you doing? Help those horses!
“I was just about to go.”
We immediately drew our swords and rushed toward them. Then we began to subdue the Black Daoists one by one.
Even the strongest among them were only at the beginning of their prime, so it wasn't difficult to subdue them.
“Who the hell are you... Ugh!”
Without answering his question, I kicked him in the face.
Meanwhile, the other men were subdued by the bodyguards.
That settled the situation. We tied up the Black Dao warriors and removed the poison they had brought with them in case they tried to kill themselves.
I glanced behind me.
There were about ten horses covered in blood.
The horse at the front was facing Geum-ryeong.
“Hee!”
“Kui! Kui!”
“Puruung.”
“Kui!”
Hmm, they're talking to each other.
I counted the number of horses.
There were fifty in total.
Excluding the ten bleeding horses, there were exactly forty horses.
Then what were those ten horses?
Geum-ryeong answered my question.
“Kui! Kui! Kui!”
Geum-ryeong finished talking and returned to me to explain.
“So those horses aren't runaways?”
“Kui.”
“Those horses are... spiritual beasts?”
Hearing that, I looked up and began to examine them closely.
Their sweat... is milky? No way!
The horses that ordinary people consider to be the best are Han-gyeol-ma, or thousand-mile horses.
However, there is another higher class of horse that people don't know much about.
Han-yu-ma (sweaty milk horse).
These horses sweat milk, and their official name is Jukangma.
It means “horse that runs on the river.”
That means they can run very fast.
If a Cheonrim can run a thousand miles a day, a Jukangma can run three thousand miles a day.
That is why Jukangma are not considered ordinary horses, but spiritual beasts.
You mean there are ten of them?
“Kui kui.”
Geum-ryung seemed to understand my question and explained.
“You mean you saw those horses being led away and decided to help them? Did they ask you for help?”
“Kui.”
The forty horses also noticed us.
They knew that the black-clad men did not have good intentions.
I approached the ten Zhugang horses and bowed my head in a clasped hands greeting.
“Thank you for your help. Thanks to you, I was able to protect my friend's property.”
“Pluung.”
They looked as if it was no big deal.
“I would like to treat your wounds. Is that okay?”
The horses nodded, and I took a bottle from my pocket and applied the liquid inside to their wounds.
I've been using this a lot lately.
The liquid was actually Jin-ryeong's saliva.
As expected, it was very effective, and the horses' wounds healed in an instant.
“It was a good connection. Farewell.”
At my words, the horse tilted its head. It looked puzzled.
“Heeing? Purung?”
“Kui!”
Geumryung translated for me.
“Why don't you covet us? Covet us?”
I immediately understood what the horse meant.
“Of course I want them. But I am satisfied with the horses I have now. And how dangerous it is to ride a horse that doesn't want to. I don't do such dangerous things.”
I continued.
“Then hurry up and go. It will be trouble if others come.”
And I waved the horses away. But the horses came closer to me instead.
And...
Huh?
The horses knelt down.
When I tilted my head, Geum-ryeong said.
“Kui! Kuii.”
“Um... So you're saying you want to entrust your bodies to me?”
“Kui.”
“Why?”
“Kuii.”
“Um... So you said you have a lot of money and will feed them and keep them warm?”
After all, even for horses, food and shelter are important.
Surely these horses don't eat money like Geum-ryeong?
As if sensing my doubts, Geum-ryeong spoke again.
“Kui! Kui!”
“Just hay is okay? And it would be even better if you gave me sweet candy sometimes?”
Hmm, they don't eat money.
Judging from Geum-ryeong's attitude, it seems like she wants me to take care of these horses.
Well, they are Joo Gang-ma, after all.
“Okay.”
Suddenly, I had a good idea. I brought my monthly leave as a gift, but now I had an even better gift.
“I have a favor to ask. Does anyone know of a place where I can stay?”
“Pung?”
“Of course, it should be a rich family where I can eat well and stay warm.”
The horses nodded in agreement.
Great.
Now I could give Captain Bok-Yoon a nice gift.
But then I wondered.
No matter how much they could eat and sleep warmly, would the spiritual beasts of the Zhuang family bow their heads to me so easily?
I asked Geum-ryung.
“Geum-ryung.”
“Kui?”
“Did you threaten them?”
“....”
Geum-ryung, why are you avoiding my eyes?