Chapter 27

By the time the master was lamenting and complaining, Bi Ryu-yeon was already on the road for an escort mission with the members of the Jungyang Escort Bureau. Once again, the Jungyang Escort Bureau. It was Bi Ryu-yeon, who had a habit of working and reusing the Jungyang Escort Bureau for every little thing, not just when he was in a pinch. Whether it was because he wasn't tired of reusing them, or because there was still some broth left to be drawn out, Bi Ryu-yeon once again entered the Jungyang Escort Bureau a few days ago without even knocking on the main gate. Upon hearing his message, Bureau Chief Jang U-yang immediately rushed out, but when he saw that the person who brought the message was not the usual 'Old Master,' Jang U-yang let out a considerable sigh of relief.

At this time, Bi Ryu-yeon had taken off the human-skin mask he had been wearing nonstop for the past five months, which had caused heat rash on his face, and was showing his bare face, so Jang U-yang did not recognize him. When a letter came out from the bosom of Bi Ryu-yeon, who was in his original form, Jang U-yang looked tense for a moment, but after reading the contents of the letter, he let out a big sigh of relief. This was because the contents of the letter were no big deal.

This child is my beloved disciple. I ask you to take him with you on this escort mission to Nanchang. Of course, I'm asking you to take him as an escort like last time, so don't forget his wages. I ask for a particularly generous wage, more than last time. He will be well worth it. He is incredibly strong. If you treat him carelessly, something bad might happen to you, so be careful.

From the Old Master

Although it was a letter with a slight threat, it was at a level that Jang U-yang could fully accept. Don't they say that humans are creatures who adapt to their environment? If you underestimate the human ability to adapt, you could get seriously hurt. In some ways, the creature called human has a tougher life force than a cockroach. Due to the events of the past, Jang U-yang's nerves seemed to have become considerably thick and strong. As a bonus, his stomach seemed to have gotten stronger too, and his complexion looked good. For Jang U-yang, this matter was nothing compared to the previous two incidents. Compared to the previous two cases, which were filled with violence and threats, this case was a light matter, nothing at all.

Rather, Jang U-yang felt like he wanted to hold a welcoming ceremony and dance. The fact that they were able to safely complete the escort mission of transporting the Goryeo celadon and other high-value goods, on which the fate of the escort bureau depended, to Nanchang last time was all thanks to them, that is, the Old Master's disciples. The divine might of just 16 people annihilating two fortresses of the 72 Fortresses of the Green Forest—if they hadn't been there, they might have been annihilated in the middle of the journey, let alone safely transporting the goods to Nanchang. So, for the Old Master's disciple to join his escort mission again this time, Jang U-yang was not displeased but deeply grateful.

The Jungyang Escort Bureau seemed to be struggling for a few weeks after the last escort mission, but now it seemed to be operating normally. The escort bureau was so busy they couldn't even open their eyes, treating the injured, filling the vacancies caused by injuries, and organizing profits and expenditures. The fortunate thing was that the injured were limited to low-ranking escorts, so there was no major problem in replenishing the personnel. If a high-ranking expert had been seriously injured and a vacancy had occurred, it would have been very difficult to replenish the personnel. This is because it is not an easy task to recruit a first-rate expert into an escort bureau.

In fact, after the clash between the Jungyang Escort Bureau and the Green Forest mountain fortresses during the last Nanchang escort mission, the name of the Jungyang Escort Bureau had risen even higher, and applicants were constantly lining up, so there was no worry about replenishing personnel. Among them, experts classified as high-ranking were often seen, which had been pleasing Jang U-yang these days. In light of these circumstances at the Jungyang Escort Bureau, the reason Bi Ryu-yeon conveyed his intentions with a letter instead of words was because a letter was better in many ways than words.

The psychological credibility of writing was much higher than that of words. Even if the Bureau Chief did not know the Old Master's handwriting, it was not a problem. Because Bureau Chief Jang U-yang had a psychological pressure regarding the existence of the person called the Old Master, he would not dare to doubt or resist.

The reason Bi Ryu-yeon did not appear in the form of the Old Master wearing a human-skin mask was because it was troublesome. He didn't like it because if he appeared as the Old Master, the Jungyang Escort Bureau would become noisy again. If Jang U-yang had doubted and not believed him, there was the means of using force next, so there was no problem for Bi Ryu-yeon. In any case, Bureau Chief Jang U-yang did not have any particular doubts about this matter, and the story proceeded smoothly and without a hitch.

A few days later, the Nanchang escort mission departed, and Bi Ryu-yeon set out on the road with the group. Bureau Chief Jang U-yang also personally accompanied this escort mission. In fact, the goods of this escort mission were not important enough for the Bureau Chief to accompany them. However, for Jang U-yang, it was an escort mission that the Old Master's disciple, who seemed quite dangerous, was joining, and above all, he himself had business in Nanchang, so he joined this escort mission. This was because he had an appointment to meet with the Bureau Chief of the Great Tiger Escort Bureau, one of the ten great escort bureaus of the Central Plains based in Nanchang. Originally, he had many appointments left and was scheduled to depart a few days later, but because Bi Ryu-yeon was joining this escort mission, he had no choice but to change his schedule abruptly. This was because he was concerned about the possibility of problems arising between the new recruits of the escort bureau and Bi Ryu-yeon.

After the last incident, the Jungyang Escort Bureau had many injured, so they had to recruit many new escorts. They had no choice but to do so because so many were injured that there was no other way for the escort bureau to operate properly. The fact that there were no casualties was a surprising miracle, so it was unreasonable to hope for more than that.

But there was also a good thing. Although it was partly because of the many injured, thanks to the success of safely transporting the Goryeo celadon, they received a huge amount of money as a token of gratitude and were able to expand the escort bureau. The name of the escort bureau, which had crushed two of the 72 Fortresses of the Green Forest, rose even higher, and due to the huge number of applicants and numerous escort requests, the escort bureau was so busy they couldn't even open their eyes.

However, most of the newcomers were people who did not know about the affairs between the Jungyang Escort Bureau and the Old Master. Because of that, no one knew what might happen. Currently, through the mouths of gossips and the tongues of storytellers in the Jianghu, there were even stories circulating that the Jungyang Escort Bureau had incredibly skilled experts who secretly protected the goods, but very few in the Jianghu knew the real truth. The 16 of them also kept their mouths shut, and the people of the Jungyang Escort Bureau also all kept their mouths shut, so very few knew the exact truth. Therefore, Jang U-yang had no intention of telling the truth to the newcomers. This was even more so for the story of being beaten by the Old Master and his disciples. He had issued a special order within the escort bureau to have everyone seal their lips. It was a situation where a strict order had been given that anyone who spoke carelessly would not be forgiven and would be severely punished.

So, since the newcomers did not know the subtle relationship between the Old Master and his disciple and the Jungyang Escort Bureau, he was worried about what might happen on the way. No matter how strict an order was given, you never know what people will do, which was the reason why Jang U-yang had moved up his schedule to accompany this escort mission.

In any case, a story was widely spreading in the Jianghu that entrusting goods to the Jungyang Escort Bureau was safer than any other escort bureau. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before they became an escort bureau that vied for the first or second place among the ten great escort bureaus of the Central Plains, so Jang U-yang was enjoying his days lately. But even for him, a worry that had arisen as he set out on this escort mission was weighing heavily on his mind. It was a problem concerning his son.

• Please Don't Touch That Brat

Jang U-gang had many complaints. A great many, in fact.
Those complaints were now steadily piling up and accumulating inside his body, and it was a very serious situation, half a step past the point of being on the verge of explosion.

His complaints began to pile up nicely after he returned home from his sect for the New Year's holiday and joined this escort mission. It is a common occurrence among young people, especially those in their vigorous twenties, that their heads are stiff and don't work well, but their pride, kneaded together with arrogance and self-conceit, is so high that they don't know their place.

Some people occasionally ask what the difference is between self-conceit and arrogance, and the only answer that can be given is 'a hair's breadth of difference.' Arrogance refers to a haughty attitude, and self-conceit refers to boasting haughtily. Some people might ask if that's not the same thing, but that's why it's a 'hair's breadth of difference.' So let's not argue about that issue anymore.

The case of Jang U-gang, who was currently suffering from a loss of fear, did not deviate much from this case. This case, as you may know from the explanation above, is an incurable symptom called 'Loss of Fear Gland Symptom,' or as some call it, 'Enlarged Liver Syndrome.'

He really couldn't understand. The fact that his father was being deferential and bowing to a snot-nosed brat who didn't even look twenty was a humiliating thing that his vigorous and pride-filled self could not tolerate, nor could it be tolerated. Even while cooped up in his sect located deep in the mountains, Jang U-gang had heard rumors about the escort bureau his father was running until his ears hurt. The rumors he heard were all great, shining, and endlessly proud things.

'The Invincible Escort Bureau,' 'The Protection of a Hidden Master,' 'Annihilated Two of the 72 Fortresses of the Green Forest!', 'The Absolutely Safe Escort Bureau,' 'Tissues in the trash can, escort goods to the Jungyang Escort Bureau!' and so on, all were great and surprising rumors that pleased his ears and made his heart swell with pride. The rumors were so rampant and vigorous that there were even talks that the Jungyang Escort Bureau would soon become the number one of the ten great escort bureaus of the Central Plains.

Rumors are bound to be exaggerated, so you have to cut them down three times and listen, but even after reducing them three times, it was still a surprising thing. But since it was Jang U-gang, who had listened and believed them as they were, without any refinement or reduction over three times, saying 'it must be so!', how high must his self-conceit have been?

Along with the spread of the rumors and the rise of the escort bureau's status, Jang U-gang's own nose also got higher and higher, and his heart was soon filled with arrogance and self-conceit, and now it was at a point where it was overflowing. Even when he came down from Mount Qingcheng with the permission of his sect to celebrate New Year's Day, his heart was still full of this self-conceit and arrogance.

Jang U-gang, he was a disciple of the Qingcheng Sect, a great and famous orthodox sect that proudly occupied a spot among the nine great sects and shared power in Sichuan. His father, Jang U-yang, had sent Jang U-gang not to the Emei Sect, but to the distant Qingcheng Sect to expand his influence and strengthen his background within the land of Sichuan. And currently, he was making rapid progress in the Qingcheng Sword under the tutelage of Perfected Person Jeolwon, who was the junior of the current sect leader.

But when Jang U-gang actually arrived home, something seemed to be greatly wrong and out of place. The feeling of 'this isn't right' was an unavoidable instinct. No matter how much he tried to ignore it, he couldn't shake off that feeling. It was an anxiety like a kind of premonition. Moreover, as he joined the escort mission, this feeling only grew stronger. The unpleasant feeling that made his heart uneasy was all because of one escort who was taking it easy and slacking off on one side.

It was certain that the guy was not an ordinary escort. He knew from his father that he was just accompanying this escort mission to Nanchang. But, his pride could not tolerate his father's cautious attitude when talking about the guy. When his father told him that he must absolutely not commit any rudeness to that brat, his pride was on the verge of exploding. Moreover, since the escort mission began, the guy who had joined the escort mission had not done a single bit of work, not even as much as picking off an eye booger. He doesn't walk like the other escorts, doesn't guard the goods, and doesn't stand guard in turns when they sleep. He doesn't even walk on the ground with his two feet, but gets on a carriage pulled by someone else, lies down, and lives comfortably and lazily, but he didn't do any other meaningful work. Regarding this, there was great complaint among the newcomers as well. Everyone was displeased that one strange guy was receiving special treatment.

In the eyes of those simple people who had never seen an escort bureau get crushed, there was no reason for the guy to receive special treatment. He didn't have that much status, hadn't shown any skill, and moreover, he wasn't even the client. To them, the newcomers and Jang U-gang, the guy was just a simple snot-nosed escort. But still, his father and the other escort leaders and senior escorts were not saying a single word of scolding or admonishment. It was as if everyone had agreed to ignore the guy. Rather, everyone was clearly showing signs of being careful in front of the guy.

Jang U-gang could sensitively feel that a strange current was flowing through the entire escort mission. And, at the center of that strange current stood the snot-nosed brat. He really didn't like the guy. A guy who did nothing and lazed around, but his treatment was top-notch. He always sat opposite the Bureau Chief, his father, Jang U-yang, for meals, and the menu and quality of the food were always top-notch.

Although he was told never to touch him, Jang U-gang could not tolerate it. This was because he really didn't like the guy's attitude, which seemed to think of the Jungyang Escort Bureau as some kind of errand boy or a pushover. And, he thought it was impossible for him, a disciple of the great Qingcheng Sect, to be inferior to that young brat. Although he had given up his dream of entering the Cheonmu Academy after failing the exam five times due to his lack of skill—though he claimed it was due to his lack of luck—wasn't he still a person who had steadily learned the secret techniques of Qingcheng? He couldn't even imagine losing to a nameless snot-nosed brat. Right now, Jang U-gang was biding his time, vowing to teach him a proper lesson someday.

Jang U-gang's two eyes, filled with deep dissatisfaction and killing intent, turned towards the brat lying on his back on one side. He glared at the idly lazing loafer with a gaze like a venomous viper, as if he would chew him up. It was a gaze that seemed to pierce through rock, a fierce momentum that seemed as if it would pounce on the guy at any moment.

There was someone watching him worriedly from behind. It was the younger brother of the Jungyang Escort Bureau's Chief Escort, and the one in charge as the Deputy Chief Escort, Flickering Flame Spear Deung Yeo-ho. His gaze, watching Jang U-gang who was twisting his body like a bomb that could explode at any moment, was filled with worry and impatience. Deung Yeo-ho cautiously called out to his young master from behind Jang U-gang.

"Young Master?"

"What is it?"

It was Jang U-gang, who whirled around, glaring with bloodshot eyes. No matter how much Jang U-gang was the son of Bureau Chief Jang U-yang, as long as he did not hold a special position within the escort bureau, he could not be so rude to Deputy Chief Escort Deung Yeo-ho, who held a senior position within the escort bureau, with the status he had obtained at birth. Flickering Flame Spear Deung Yeo-ho, he was a person in the position of Deputy Chief Escort who was practically in charge of most of the escorts of the Jungyang Escort Bureau. Currently, his older brother, Fast Spear Deung Yeo-un, was remaining at the Jungyang Escort Bureau in Sichuan as the acting Bureau Chief. This was because when the Bureau Chief was absent from the escort bureau, someone was needed to take over the operation of the escort bureau. So, his older brother, the Chief Escort, remained in the escort bureau, and he, the younger brother, accompanied this escort mission. Therefore, no matter how much he was the son of the Bureau Chief, he was not a person to be treated carelessly. From this, one can easily conclude that Jang U-gang was a rude brat who was very lacking in the acquisition of the word 'courtesy.'

"Please bear with it."

"What?"

For a senior to kindly advise a junior to control his heart, and to give such an insolent reply, he must be a brat who was very, very lacking in the learning of the four characters of 'etiquette and manners.' Unless Jang U-gang was his superior in the escort bureau—the title 'Young Master' is not a practical position. It is merely a formal title—it was the right thing to do to show at least a minimum of courtesy. No matter how much he was the son of the Bureau Chief, this did not change. It was only because Deung Yeo-ho had watched Jang U-gang since he was a child that he let this much rudeness slide. Deung Yeo-ho wrote the character for 'patience' in his mind three or four times and said to Jang U-gang.

"I'm talking about that imposing and murderous gaze of yours. Please restrain yourself a little."

"Why should I? Should I bow and scrape to a brat like that?"

"But, Young Master! Everyone is anxious. The atmosphere of the escort mission might change to a touch-and-go state at any moment. Don't you see? Please, Young Master, bear with it. The escorts are also anxious."

"Why should I consider their feelings?"

"It is the natural attitude of a person who will stand at the top of the escort bureau in the future."

Although it was a natural thing for Deung Yeo-ho to say, Jang U-gang was not willing to accept it.

"I don't like it, I don't like it. Why is everyone in the escort bureau bowing and scraping to a loafer like that? Why are they afraid of a guy like that? Who on earth is that Old Master... Mmph!"

In that instant, Deung Yeo-ho hurriedly covered Jang U-gang's mouth.

"Please be careful with your words and actions. I'm afraid something terrible will happen."

It was a plea for the young master to restrain himself.

"Mmph... Mmmph... Mmmph..."

The young master struggled.

"Don't shout carelessly. Something terrible will happen. There are some things in the world that should not be said."

Deung Yeo-ho looked at Jang U-gang with a cautious gaze and covered Jang U-gang's mouth even more strongly. It was an action done with the intention of giving him time to control his heart.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

Jang U-gang's face was gradually turning bright red. But as more time passed, his face, which had been turning red and blue, was now even starting to take on a bluish tinge.

"Oops!"

Only then did Deung Yeo-ho, noticing that his pot-lid-sized hand was covering both Jang U-gang's mouth and nose, hastily remove his hand.

"Phwaa, hek hek hek. I... I almost suffocated to death. Who... who on earth is that person that everyone is trembling in fear of? Hek hek hek."

Jang U-gang asked, as if demanding an answer, while letting out the breath he had been holding in one go. Fortunately, he did not die an unsightly death by the cause of 'asphyxiation,' so Deung Yeo-ho's action ended as attempted murder.

"Just because."

"Eh?"

During the previous incident of the Jungyang Escort Bureau intrusion, Deung Yeo-ho had a brilliant record of having jointly attacked Bi Ryu-yeon, who was disguised as the Old Master, with his brother Deung Yeo-un, only to be struck on the nape of the neck with a hand-chop and lose consciousness. Behind a brilliant record, there are lessons learned and experience gained as a reward. Since then, a fear and a slight awe for the Old Master had been sprouting deep in Deung Yeo-ho's heart. Also, he was in a position where he could not carelessly speak of the relationship between the escort bureau and the Old Master. This was because there was an order from the Bureau Chief to never tell his son. It was something that stemmed from a father's heart of not wanting to let his son know about his father's shameful parts, his disgrace. But without knowing his father's burning heart, the son had no intention of bending his petty pride. For Deung Yeo-ho, who was watching from the side, it was a frustrating situation.

"For such a lame reason, you're telling me I have to be polite to a loafer like that? Tell me!"

'It's because everyone is worried about the safety of the escort bureau. And furthermore, your life!'

But he couldn't bring himself to express his true feelings in his heart. Deung Yeo-ho could only remain silent, and their conversation soon entered a lull. It was a conversation with no progress or gain.

Deputy Chief Escort Deung Yeo-ho had accompanied the Goryeo celadon escort mission last time. It was impossible for the escort bureau's best expert to have missed such an important escort mission. At that time, his life had been saved by the Old Master's disciple. The swarm of mountain bandits pouring in like a black tide, the 16 people who faced them head-on and stopped them. But even the iron-wall-like defensive line of the 16 had a weakness in its numerical inferiority. Against the enemies who bypassed their small defensive line and attacked, he had fought at the very front with his brother, Fast Spear Deung Yeo-un. An expert must display skills befitting their pay and value in a place appropriate for them. That was a natural responsibility and duty.

But their skills were not enough to face the waves of the human sea that swarmed like a pack of dogs for a long time. When he, exhausted from fighting the enemies, made the mistake of a lifetime and dropped the spear he was holding, and was in a desperate situation waiting for death, a single stone flew in and saved him. Deung Yeo-ho never knew his name, but it was a stone thrown by none other than Tang Cheol-yeong. That stone pierced the dantian of the mountain bandit who was swinging a brutish-looking giant saber to deliver death to him and flew away.

Of course, the mountain bandit fell with a single scream, and he was able to pick up his spear and stand up again. It was a narrow escape from death, and for him, it was an event where he owed his life. As such, Deung Yeo-ho had directly experienced their skills while performing a thrilling feat on the crossroads of life and death.

Although he was arrogant, the person lying on his back over there was also the Old Master's disciple. So he couldn't help but worry about the situation where the young master was huffing and puffing, vowing to make a decision. Moreover, didn't he call him his beloved disciple? It was not difficult to imagine what kind of result would come from fighting him. That's why Deung Yeo-ho had no choice but to strongly dissuade the Young Master. No, he had to. He could not reenact the nightmare of the past again.

But the burden of being in his late 40s was too heavy to control the boiling blood of a 20-year-old. To quell the vigor of a 20-year-old, the sword named 'experience' and the shield named 'age' were rusty antiques no different from a toothless tiger. Deung Yeo-ho's efforts ended in a futile struggle, and Jang U-gang continued to glare at Bi Ryu-yeon with a malicious gaze, burning with a useless hostility born from arrogance and self-conceit.

Flickering Flame Spear Deung Yeo-ho carefully untied the blue cloth tied to his waist, took out a small pill from inside, and carefully chewed and swallowed it. While stroking his chest... The name of the pill was 'Hwang Family's Secret Recipe: Hwang Family Stomach Medicine.' It was a pill specially ordered from Doctor Hwang of the Hwang Family Clinic, whose skill in soothing the stomach was the best in Sichuan and who was now Bureau Chief Jang U-yang's regular personal physician.