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Translator: uly
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: The Scoundrel Fiancé of the Murim World - 4
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I thought I was a day's journey from the underworld, but I never expected it to come to me like this.
The Changryong Guard of the Murong Family appeared on horseback, unlike typical martial artists.
Wait, shouldn't martial artists appear with a "whoosh" using their lightness skills? What's with the horses? I thought it was a band of mounted bandits.
Then again, since they're a martial family of Xianbei origin, horses probably suit them better than lightness skills.
"All dismount!"
"Thump!"
The Changryong Guard dismounted in unison. They weren't wearing armor, but at this point, they might as well be an army.
Their discipline was so sharp, their synchronized dismount felt like a general's inspection day. The one who seemed to be the leader approached me.
"Young Master Kang. We are the Changryong Guard of the Murong Family. From this moment, we will escort you."
"I know the affiliation, but I don't believe I've received your introduction."
Does this bastard not know to introduce himself first?
"I am Murong Jin-su, Deputy Leader of the Changryong Guard."
You little shit. I take back what I said about their sharp discipline.
"I see. I am Kang Yun-ho of the Kang Family."
"A pleasure, Young Master Kang. We are at your service."
The moment the Deputy Leader made a fist-and-palm salute, a commotion suddenly erupted from behind.
"What is the meaning of this?!"
One of my entourage shouted from the back, utterly shocked.
"We were just curious, is all. Just curious."
The Changryong Guard members, who had been subtly rummaging through the wedding gifts with the tips of their scabbards, retorted.
"Where is it proper to rummage through wedding gifts?!"
The wedding gifts sent from the groom's family to the bride's are a token of sincerity.
Of course, these ultimately become the property of the Murong Family, but rummaging through them like that is a severe breach of etiquette.
"Don't raise your voice. Where's the ginseng? Our members have been a bit low on energy lately."
"Eeek! These are items for the Family Head and the bride! They are not for the likes of you to touch!"
"..."
The Deputy Leader glanced over once but said nothing.
Huh? Look at this. The person who should be stopping them is just letting it slide?
"I see this is how you express joy these days."
In Kang Yun-ho's roundabout way, I told him to get his men under control.
"Hmph. It seems our members' blood is so stirred by the joyous occasion that they can't contain themselves. I worry an accident might occur if your party reacts too strongly."
Are you picking a fight now?
Kang Yun-ho's relationship with Murong Sang-ah may be the worst, but there's absolutely no reason for his relationship with the Murong Family to be bad.
The Kang Family has money, the Murong Family has martial power. Isn't this marriage alliance meant to be the ultimate transaction between the two families?
It feels like he's provoking a clash of auras, but I don't know why. Should I observe the situation a bit more?
"Standing around like this seems to be causing problems. Guard Captain, order the departure immediately."
"Yes, understood. Everyone, move out!"
And so began the uneasy departure with the Changryong Guard.
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At one end of Kang Yun-ho's wedding procession was the Deputy Leader of the Changryong Guard, Murong Jin-su.
"I cannot accept that our young lady is marrying a barbarian like that."
One of the Changryong Guard members approached Murong Jin-su and spoke.
"Marriage is decided by the family. It's not a matter of whether we accept it or not."
"How can you say that so coldly? Deputy Leader, you were in the Changbong Guard not long ago, not the Changryong Guard."
"..."
The Changbong Guard—Murong Sang-ah's personal guard. It was a unit where not a single member didn't admire her, whether for her talent or her looks.
But not long ago, by order of the Young Master, it was scheduled to be disbanded. Half had already been dissolved and absorbed into the Changryong Guard.
The majority of the Changryong Guard members who came to escort Kang Yun-ho today were former Changbong Guard members.
"How many Changbong Guard members admired the young lady? With that talent, those looks, such a bright future... Ah, really."
The Changryong Guard member thumped his chest as if his clothes were about to burst.
"Marrying into a wealthy family is a kind of happiness in itself."
"Do you truly believe that?"
"... I wished for her to become the Family Head, but there's no other way now, is there?"
Murong Jin-su made a pained expression.
"Why not? We just have to ruin the marriage."
"How?"
"Just harass the people around him to anger him, provoke him on top of that until he flies into a rage, then just *slice*."
The Changryong Guard member made a slashing motion across his neck with the edge of his hand.
"If you do that, you'll die too."
"But he's a scoundrel, right? A scoundrel with a sword at his side. We just need to make him draw that sword. If he draws his sword, we can claim we felt our lives were in danger for a moment. He'll definitely fall for it with just a little provocation."
"You know well that it won't be that easy."
"Ah, I don't know. I'd rather die than hand the young lady over to a barbarian. Anyway, just stay still, please. We'll handle everything."
It's a ridiculous plan. But Murong Jin-su, who, like the young member, admired Murong Sang-ah, couldn't readily stop the plan.
Perhaps taking the silence as affirmation, the young Changryong Guard member went off to relay the story to the other members.
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You'd think riding a horse would be convenient since it runs for you, but that's not the case.
The shock of the horse's hooves hitting the ground continuously transfers to your buttocks. Also, since it's a living, moving creature, you always have to be mindful of its movements.
Wasn't there a famous general from Silla who trusted his horse's auto-pilot, only to cut its neck when he realized it malfunctioned? You can't trust semi-autonomous driving too much.
On top of that, to avoid falling off, you have to keep your thighs constantly tensed.
Didn't Liu Bei from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms lament that after riding horses all his life on battlefields, taking a short break made fat gather on his thighs?
Anyway, horseback riding is that taxing on the body.
A carriage would be a hundred times better. In fact, the Kang Family even prepared a carriage, but this bastard Kang Yun-ho refused it.
This rich bastard planned to ride a horse all the way from Joseon to Liaodong Fortress. What on earth was he thinking?
For style.
This damn scoundrel Kang Yun-ho thought riding a horse looked cool. In modern terms, he chose it because riding a horse seemed more stylish, like driving an open-top car, compared to a carriage.
Idiot. Ugh.
It's not excruciatingly painful thanks to the top-tier saddle and stirrups. But I'm not a trained martial artist, and such a long journey can't help but wear the body down.
Anyway, the reason I'm saying all this is:
"If we take the shortcut the Changryong Guard knows, we can cut half a day. If we hurry from now, we can arrive around midnight."
"Young Master Kang is exhausted from the long journey. Wouldn't it be enough to stay at an inn tonight and go tomorrow?"
Because during a meal at the inn, my party and the Changryong Guard are arguing over the schedule.
The clash of auras has continued ever since.
Even though the Changryong Guard of the Murong Family came to escort us, they're trying to take command of the entire procession.
'Why do these bastards keep trying to cross the line?'
Ever since the Changryong Guard joined, they've been acting rudely.
First, they subtly rummage through the wedding gifts with their scabbards.
Then, they threaten members lagging behind to walk faster.
I didn't hear it myself, but I heard some of them even dared to call the groom's party 'barbarians'.
Everyone wants to say something, but starting a fight with the family you're about to marry into over this doesn't look good, so my party seems to be holding back.
However, dissatisfaction and unease toward the Changryong Guard are slowly spreading among my party.
"Young Master."
During the meal, Dolsoe appeared and whispered in my ear.
"You startled me. What is it?"
This bastard blowing air into my ear, what nonsense.
"I've been moving around, eavesdropping, and I've roughly figured out why they're acting like this."
"Why are they?"
As expected, Dolsoe, the Joseon-era CCTV. Did you see and hear everything clearly?
"Well, you see. That Changryong Guard is the Young Master's personal guard, but there are also many who admire Murong Sang-ah."
So what?
"I heard them grumbling among themselves, saying things like 'How can the young lady marry such a barbarian?'"
Ah. So that's it?
Hmm. So it's the tantrum of the 'Uncle Squad' who are unhappy that the Murong Family's idol, Sang-ah-chan, is marrying an alpha male like me?
You should have said so earlier.
If anyone wants to marry Murong Sang-ah, I'd gladly act as matchmaker.
No need for a professional matchmaker either.
The Love Magician, Kang Yun-ho, is here.
The magic that makes a woman say she has a prior engagement even when she doesn't.
The magic that makes a woman lose her appetite when you offer to buy her something tasty.
The magic that makes a woman suddenly remember she already has a man she likes when I try to set the mood and talk to her.
That magician is right here.
But since no one steps forward to marry Murong Sang-ah,
In the end, I have to take this hot potato.
That Matdongsan-like wench.
"Pathetic bastards."
"That's what I'm saying. Are we thieves that we should enter at night? We should enter in broad daylight."
He's right. It's not an emergency, so why should we go in at night?
"I think I need to say something."
"Oh nooo! But they're martial artists of the martial world. If things go wrong, it could be a disaster, Young Master. The Guard Captain will surely handle it well."
"Hmm."
I still need time to prepare one more plan.
I need to stay outside for one more night. It would be troublesome if they try to drag me along by force like that.
I need to take the Changryong Guard down a peg.
"If we take the shortcut you mentioned, we have to go at night! What if we encounter mountain bandits? What then?"
The Guard Captain, who was coordinating the schedule, shouted at the Changryong Guard members.
"Are you looking down on the warriors of the Great Murong Family now?"
The expressions of the Murong Family warriors listening turned cold.
"That's not it..."
This is bad. He said the wrong thing. You shouldn't touch their pride in martial power.
"Only you barbarians would fear mountain bandits! How dare you mention the danger of bandits before the Great Murong Family!"
Amidst the cold expressions of the Murong Family warriors, one young warrior shouted indignantly.
"No, where do you get off calling us barba..."
"What barbarian?"
The Guard Captain tried to protest, but I cut him off first. What barbarian? You've crossed the line, you bastard.
I immediately stood up and ran through the Changryong Guard members.
"Young Master Kang."
The Deputy Leader panicked and reached out to stop me, but I lightly dodged and stood before the young warrior who had called us barbarians.
"Hey. What did you just say?"
You're caught, you bastard.
This chilling sensation. It's time to return to being the scoundrel Kang Yun-ho.