Chapter 468
The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Trading Company Chapter 468
Chapter 468. Why is this happening? (4)
“Waaah!”
“Huh!”
“Stop him!”
Suddenly, the cries of soldiers and panicked shouts could be heard from outside.
Bang!
“What's going on?”
Gongho opened the door and shouted, but there was no answer.
The soldiers realized what was happening and fled.
As he was about to go outside, someone entered.
The moonlight illuminated the face of a man of unparalleled beauty.
“Captain Eun Seo-ho! What is going on here?”
“The imperial guards sent by His Majesty the Emperor have entered Chunkyungseong.”
“What?”
He was shocked, but soon his expression changed to relief.
“So that's why you came to get me! Everyone else has fled, but you were the only one who thought of me...”
“No, that's not it.”
“What?”
“I'm the one who let the imperial guards come in.”
Come to think of it, even though the situation was urgent, his face was calm.
“And I came here ahead of time to make sure that you, the leader of this operation, couldn't escape.”
“What? What are you saying?”
“So, just give me one leg.”
* * *
Gongho looked at me with a stunned expression. Then his face contorted.
“From the beginning... Was this your intention?”
“Isn't that obvious?”
“Damn it!”
He cursed and kicked the floor.
He was pretending to talk while trying to escape.
Where are you going?
I quickly used my movement arts, grabbed him by the back of his neck, and threw him to the floor.
Bang!
“Ugh!”
He held his waist and groaned, saying to me,
“Even those guys at their peak couldn't catch up to my movement arts... Who are you?”
So that's why he was able to escape in the future that Seo Hyang saw.
His movement arts were quite good.
He couldn't escape because his opponent was me.
If he hadn't taken the shoes away beforehand, I would have lost him even with my movement arts.
I breathed a sigh of relief and approached Gongho.
“I'm quite confident in my movement arts. And I knew you were going to run away.”
There was no need to reveal that I had reached the pinnacle of my skills.
“Damn it! Those shoes! If my Ippon-Senri-Hye hadn't been burned, I wouldn't have been caught here!”
Gongho hadn't given up yet and rushed at me with his sword.
“Die, you bastard!”
Pock!
But I wasn't alone. My bodyguards were quite skilled.
In an instant, Seo Woo's foot kicked Gongho in the chest, and Jin Yu fired a powerful blow at his back.
“Cough! Cough!”
He rolled around on the floor, his insides torn apart, and begged me with a pitiful look on his face.
“Please, spare my life! I have a wife and children. Without me, they will starve to death.”
That's a lie.
What wife and children...
Would the Martial Alliance be so crazy as to send someone with a wife and children on a suicide mission?
For the sake of maintaining confidentiality, they would have chosen someone who was definitely single.
And those eyes are not the eyes of a man with a wife and children.
“When did I say I was going to kill you?”
“Huh?”
“I just said I was going to break one of your legs.”
“That's so you can hand me over to the emperor! That's killing me!”
“It's different. I didn't say I'd kill you.”
“What kind of nonsense is that! You ×× ××!”
He hurled insults at me.
I ran my hand through my hair and sighed.
“Huh, you still don't understand the situation. And you hurt my feelings. I was just going to break one of your legs, but now I'll break all of them.”
“Yes, sir!”
“No! I'm sorry... I was wrong...”
Ugh!
Ugh!
“Aaaah!”
I have a bad temper.
.
.
.
A moment later.
I was being dragged by my bodyguards, my arms and legs broken.
They had decided to gather all the subdued people in one place.
Soon, we arrived in front of the mansion.
There were several pillars there, and people were tied to each pillar.
They were Jin Dae-cheol, Baek Seon, and several renegades who had been arrested by the Royal Guards.
Other black-clad martial artists were tied up and gathered in one place.
“Oh! You're here?”
Master Jin and the other Royal Guards greeted me.
“Yes. Thank you for your hard work.”
“You're the one who worked hard.”
He looked behind me and his expression hardened.
“Is that him?”
“Yes. This is Gongho, the one who told them about the cunning plan.”
“Tie him up tightly.”
“Yes.”
Following my instructions, the bodyguards tied Gongho tightly to a pillar.
Only then did Master Jin, who had noticed Gongho's condition, ask.
“But... what happened to him?”
“Ah... I was only going to break one of his legs, but it ended up like that.”
Pal-gap shook his head in disapproval at my words.
What? What is that?
What does it mean?
The power of 5,000 imperial guards was considerable.
They had completely surrounded Chunkyungseong.
The martial artists and defectors that Gongho had brought with him were unable to break through the encirclement.
Some tried to hide in private homes, but there was no way the common people would hide them.
Thus, within half a day of the Royal Guards and the Imperial Army entering the city, the situation was over.
I looked at those tied to the pillars and clicked my tongue.
Just a few hours ago, they must have dreamed of a bright and colorful future.
But in reality, they were criminals who had deceived the emperor and plotted treason.
Even that was a lie they had told the magistrate of this city to cover up their crimes.
I felt proud that I had been able to prevent their unjust deaths and make them pay for their crimes.
At that moment, I heard someone approaching and turned my head.
Master Kwon was leading a group of people.
Behind them, Yeon-woo was supporting a middle-aged man.
One of his arms was cut off, and he looked haggard, but I recognized him immediately.
It was the Magistrate of Chun-gyeongseong.
Master Kwon told Master Jin.
“This is the Magistrate of Chun-gyeongseong and his family.”
“Ah, I see!”
He bowed his head to the Magistrate of Chunkyungseong with clasped hands.
“We are the Royal Guards. Are you all right? His Majesty the Emperor is very worried.”
“Why are you so concerned about an old man like me... I am deeply grateful to His Majesty.”
“This is a letter from His Majesty the Emperor.”
Master Jin-yeong handed him a scroll decorated with gold leaf.
The Magistrate accepted the scroll with trembling hands, and Yeon-woo helped him unfold it.
Tears streamed down the Magistrate's eyes as he read the scroll, and it seemed that he was sincerely apologizing.
“I am deeply grateful to His Majesty the Emperor!”
Yeon-woo-mun approached the magistrate and whispered something to him.
The magistrate turned his head and looked at me.
Huh?
Why is he looking at me?
The magistrate approached me and took my hand with his remaining hand.
“Are you the captain of the Silver Sword Corps?”
“Yes, I am, but…”
“I heard that you played a big part in this. I am truly grateful.”
“I didn't do much.”
“You are too modest. I already heard about it from Master Kwon and my son. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been able to...”
Once again, tears welled up in his eyes.
Knowing how he died in his previous life, I felt quite strange.
So, without thinking, I offered him some words of encouragement.
“I hope you live a long and peaceful life.”
“Thank you.”
After exchanging greetings with me, he said to Master Kwon.
“I have a request.”
“Please tell me.”
“Those men... Can I beat them up a little?”
The Magistrate's eyes burned as he spoke.
Not only had he exploited and abused his people for many years, but he had also raped his daughter, driving her to suicide.
I would like to beat them myself.
However, their punishment is the Emperor's prerogative.
As such, I cannot punish them on my own, which is why I am asking you.
I said to Master Jin-yeong.
“Master, have they confessed to their crimes?”
Master Jin-yeong smiled at my question.
“Not yet.”
“Then the violence that occurs during the interrogation cannot be considered punishment, right?”
“That's right.”
Master Jin-yeong seemed to understand my intention.
“Go get me a suitable club.”
“Yes, sir!”
Pal-gap quickly brought a club covered with small thorns.
“Did you bring it well?”
This club was made from a thorny tree that only grows here in Yunnan.
It is often used in the empire to punish criminals, and its sap has a healing effect that prevents wounds from festering.
I handed it to the Magistrate and said,
“Do you think they will confess their crimes with just one blow? They will probably need at least thirty blows before they open their mouths.”
“....”
“We went a little too far in capturing them. I'm embarrassed to ask, but I think we need your help, Magistrate.”
“In that case, I will help you.”
The Magistrate picked up the club, and the renegades' eyes trembled with fear.
I gently urged the Magistrate.
“If you get too emotional, I will take the club from you. So please hit them one by one with care.”
“I understand.”
“Ah! Please avoid their vital organs. It would be mercy to let them die here. There is no need to show them mercy, is there?”
“Of course not.”
Bang!
“Guh!”
You beat them so well.
This should ease the Magistrate's resentment a little.
To be honest, I think it would be a hundred times more satisfying to beat them yourself than to have the Emperor punish them.
The next day.
The renegades were hung upside down in a mobile prison.
This was because the emperor had ordered them to be hung upside down and sent to Beijing.
Therefore, a special cage was prepared for this occasion.
The road to Beijing was long and dangerous, so they would suffer greatly, but I didn't feel sorry for them.
They deserved to be treated that way.
With the 4,000 Royal Guards and the Royal Guards surrounding the carts, they were ready to depart.
The remaining personnel said they would stay behind to maintain order and assist with the restoration.
It was true that they were helping, but it seemed that they were also staying behind to investigate other areas.
“Then we will be on our way.”
“Be careful on your way.”
“We will come back for you as soon as you recover.”
Yesterday, the Magistrate literally beat up the envoys who had been exploiting him.
You need physical strength to beat someone up, but he didn't stop until his whole body was covered in thorns, and it was unclear where he got that strength from.
Thanks to that, he looked very refreshed.
“Let's go!”
At Master Jin's shout, we began to move.
We had dealt with the matter at Shaolin Temple and had almost been kidnapped on the way.
Now we could finally return to the Beijing branch!
I was so moved that tears came to my eyes.
The road from Yunnan to Beijing was almost like crossing the empire.
As such, it was quite a long journey.
With thousands of soldiers carrying their weapons, the pace was extremely slow.
Honestly, my companions and I were riding on the Zhu Jiangma, so we could reach Beijing in no time if we wanted to.
However, we decided to keep pace with them for a reason.
It was because there might be people who wanted to rescue or kill Gongho.
If Gongho was interrogated, the Martial Alliance would be in a difficult position.
If this could weaken the Martial Alliance's position or damage its reputation, then we had to endure this hardship.
I glanced at Ham-geo.
The renegades imprisoned in Ham-geo had tried to escape by looking for openings.
When Ham-geo shook and their bodies touched each other, they would untie their bonds, or try to escape when eating or using the restroom.
I even caught some of them myself.
It was so difficult to tell their origins that it was a real headache.
However, Gongho and Jin Dae-cheol were different, and I found that strange.
“They're quiet,”
I replied calmly to Master Jin's words.
“As you know, Master, I had no choice but to break their arms and legs while capturing Gongho. That must make it difficult for them to move. And Jin Dae-cheol's tendons are torn, aren't they?”
“Hmm? Is that so?”
Master Jin Young's eyes lit up.
“That's right. That won't affect their lives.”
Although they were all members of the Royal Guards, they did not seem to know how ruthless the Royal Guards could be.
Perhaps inspired by my words, I broke their toes and fingers.
After that, they made no further attempts to escape, and we were able to continue our journey in peace.
And so, at the end of October, we finally arrived in Beijing.
.
.
.
Upon arriving in Beijing, I immediately went before the emperor.
However, it was not the grand hall where the officials were gathered, but the emperor's office.
This was because the Royal Guards and Dongchang could not reveal their identities.
“You have worked hard.”
The emperor praised the Royal Guards for their hard work and rewarded them.
Then he turned his head toward me. Now it was my turn.
“Yes, Captain Eun Seo-ho.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“You did much better than I expected. You are truly talented.”
I responded modestly.
“It was thanks to Your Majesty's trust that I was able to demonstrate my abilities.”
“You are so capable, I have no choice but to trust you. You have done a great service this time. You even saved my son's life.”
“It is all thanks to His Majesty the Emperor.”
“There is no need to flatter me. As I said before, tell me what you want.”
Great!
I must ask him to let me go, as I had decided earlier.
However, the emperor's next words left me speechless.
“I will grant you anything, as long as it is not something like devoting yourself entirely to the Trading Company or leaving me.”
“...”
Your Majesty?
Ah... Why are tears suddenly filling my eyes?