Together with Moyong Baek, I finished off the dumplings and the drinks in the deserted guest house.
After gulping down a drink, with a slightly relieved expression, Moyong Baek says to me,
“Sect Leader, I had a nice meal.”
Nodding my head I ask,
“How is it now that you’ve had something like this after a long time?”
Moyong Baek smiles and says,
“Nothing bad.”
The food in the guest inn wasn’t so bad, but I felt like I forced Moyong Baek to have something bad.
Actually, despite being a physician, Moyong Baek is actually gentle. And I don’t like people who are naïve without countermeasures.
Moyong Baek in his previous life was, in fact, gentler than average so he must have more hidden character than others.
I think about it. One side of his heart is white, and the other is black.
Like me, he wasn’t a guy who had it tough from a young age.
Several people died when they touched Moyong Baek. So, I decided that instead of letting that happen far in the future, smearing some dirt right now would be alright.
Of course, in my own way.
Feed alcohol, some unhealthy food, watch me beat people.
In the end wouldn’t Moyong Baek come to his senses if I beat a couple and he too beats a couple?
It isn’t like I have a clear plan or something. I just feel like seeing what it would be like if a great physician and a poisonous demon met halfway.
It would be like living in such a world.
I was so lost till now, but one has to take medicine when they should and poison when they need to.
Now that he is a good-natured physician who comes running at the call of someone sick, I need to make him see what saltwater tastes like.
And as expected.
As alcohol enters his body, the tone of his talking changes and it seems like he is down, so I smile.
“Right, let us stop drinking and get up.”
“Yes, now is the right time.”
Even when I am paying up for the food I am thinking about how to handle him.
“How much?”
The server who is wiping the table, approaches with a towel stuck to his waist.
“23”
If I had a common silver coin, it would be a generous amount and there would be money left over. I was rummaging through my bindle to find the coin and looked inside. It was full of pouches and leftover beef jerky.
Moyong Baek, who looks into it, admires it.
“Wow, Sect Leader, do you have a lot of money?”
“I told you. I have a lot. It is a lot but it is mine.”
“Uh?”
“There is no coin. I have no change to give. Just slips. And giving a money slip here will be embarrassing.”
Moyong Baek takes something from his bag.
“I will pay.”
I knew how the server would look at me if I gave a money slip. If I hand over a slip now, it will be difficult for this place.
Moyong Baek takes out a common silver coin from his bag and hands it to the server. And, as soon as he takes it, he squats down and rummages through a box which holds change.
At that time, someone comes in from the entrance and says in my direction,
“Get out.”
I stare at the guy who mumbled that.
“…”
A man in his early 20s with a blade around his waist taps the server on the knee who is counting the change.
“What are you doing? I am here.”
As soon as the server checks him he says,
“Ah, one minute”
“Calculate quickly.”
The guy bends down, grabs the box of change, and then puts his right hand in to pull out a handful of coins.
“I am going to die of frustration. Fifty coppers?”
The server who looks at him says,
“You cannot take them.”
The man holding the coins pretends he can’t hear and asks,
“What? I didn’t hear.”
Instead of the shocked server, I say,
“Don’t your ears work? Why? Didn’t hear? Your ears look fine. Fucking dog.”
The man turns his head and glares at me.
“… who are you?”
I swing my left hand at the man’s nose and with a thump he is pushed back and loses his balance making him land down on his butt.
“What, what? You’re the one who needs to be hit.”
Looking at him I say,
“You have a nosebleed.”
“Uh?”
The man touches his nose then checks by wiping his nose.
The server who watched this holds out his hand.
“Wait!”
He tried to stop us.
“Haha… go out. Go out, yes. The area outside is wide and nice.”
The man with the blade jumps up holding it and asks,
“Are you insane?”
I look at Moyong Baek while pointing to him.
“This man has amazing insight.”
Moyong Baek nods.
“I was thinking the same.”
“…”
I briefly look at Moyong Baek and then look back at the man.
“Did you point the blade at me? Do you have the confidence to do that?”
I point to the wooden sword tucked between the bindle I had on.
“Can’t you see the wooden sword?”
The man yells,
“So what!’
I don’t care about his yelling and ask Moyong Baek,
“What would it mean for someone to carry a wooden sword in Kangho?”
Moyong Baek gives the answer.
“Must be an expert.”
I nod and look at the man.
“That is me.”
“Damn it!”
I’ll admit to my surprise the third-rate warrior swings his blade at me and it flies for my neck.
However, I move ahead and poke my fingers into his shoulders as if I would pierce him with them.
Tak!
The blade flying straight ahead loses power and falls down. At the same time, the man changes his stance and gradually slows down. It was like he was moving in water, unable to escape even a single step backwards as he stumbled.
Judging from his appearance he looks like someone who wouldn’t be able to stand ice arts even for a moment.
As he stumbles, I start to pick up the coins that fell and put them into the box. The server and Moyong Baek come to help too.
After putting them into the box, I say,
“… this is tax?”
“Yes?”
“From which place?”
“It is to the Great Raven Clan. Originally they weren’t taking such things from us, but suddenly these days they began to change. We too are quite shocked.”
“So, there wasn’t such a tax payment before?”
“Yes”
I look at Moyong Baek.
“Moyong.”
“Uh?”
I point to the fallen guy and tell him.
“Find out what is happening from him.”
‘Reincarnate Poison Demon, torture him.’
Was what I meant to say.
And Moyong Baek replies,
“Me?”
I ignore his question and speak to the server.
“I will make sure you don’t have to pay in the future. Would that amount suffice for ruining your business today?”
“Ah, yes thank you.”
I looked at Moyong Baek who was standing still.
“What are you doing?”
Moyong Baek shakes his head for a moment to sober up and then approaches the fallen man. I watch him.
Moyong Baek speaks to the man who is trembling.
“You….”
“H-help me.”
“Who said you would be killed? No killing here. Why is the Great Raven Clan suddenly taking money?”
“We too need money.”
“For what?”
“That… for the escort services of Hwayang.”
Moyong Baek frowns and asks,
“An unorthodox sect paying tribute to an escort service?”
“Not a tribute, but…”
Moyong Baek lightly touches the area I hit with ice arts three times and the words of the man calm down.
“… we accidentally touched the escort services and now have to pay compensation, the amount is huge, so I am collecting money. Please.”
I was curious how Moyong Baek managed to do it, so I ask,
“How did you do it?”
“I stopped the ice qi from spreading for a time. After a while it will continue.”
I nod.
“Wonderful. Really amazing.”
Moyong Baek replies like a physician.
“Thank you.”
And he asks the man,
“And so, your clan touched an escort service?”
“We have no other choice but to pay the compensation because the leader drank 100-year-old water.”
Moyong Baek looks shocked and then smiles.
“… now I get it.”
“How much does it cost?”
Moyong Baek responds,
“Wouldn’t it be around 30 gold coins?”
“That expensive?”
“It is a rare thing.”
“Is it worth it though?”
“Yes.”
I look at him and say,
“Are you beggars? You make mistakes and then make up for it by robbing money from other places. And these are typical actions of yours. Take me. I wonder if your clan really doesn’t have even 30 gold.”
I look at the server who is watching.
“We will leave now.”
“Ah, yes, and you are?”
“I am Low-Down Sect Leader.”
The server opens his eyes in shock and asks,
“Low-Down Sect Leader?”
“Why are you so shocked?”
The server suddenly speaks, unable to respond.
“We… we this… is a guest house. You don’t know?”
“I don’t.”
“Ah, a man called Sima Bi of the Low-Down Sect asked in detail if there was a shop close by he could take.”
I am surprised at the mention of Sima Bi.
“Uh? Sima Bi came?”
“Yes.”
“And what happened?”
“We have a house attached to the back, but it is difficult to walk there. I told him about a few other shops close by. And I understood what Low-Down Sect is after, after hearing his explanation.”
I nod at the server who is smiling.
“Sima Bi is quietly working alone. Hearing the news from a place like this is good.”
I speak to Moyong Baek and the man.
“We move to the Great Raven Clan now. This is the first area where Low-Down Sect established its branch. On the way home, I will clear down all the unorthodox sects and make my move. Suddenly, my motivation just doubled. If I hit around will I get stronger? What do you think?”
Moyong Baek, who seemed to have a stronger instinct to return home than anyone else, looks at me and says,
“Sure”
“Don’t like it?”
“No. I like it.”
“Good. If I am with you, your motivation will increase, right?”
Moyong Baek just turns his head like he lost his temper and touches his head.
Puk
I nod with a satisfied expression.
“I like it.”
I tell the server,
“Do not worry. If my beating doesn’t work, I will solve the issue by killing the clan. Nothing bad will happen in the future.”
The server scratches his head.
“Yes.”
When I turned I saw Moyong Baek holding the man and shaking him.
“Yah, get up.”
“What is it?”
“He passed out.”
“Wake him.”
Moyong Baek sighs as he grabs acupuncture needles from his pocket. The needles were thick enough to assassinate someone.
Moyong Baek glares at the guy and mercilessly stabs the guy at the top of his head. The man lets out a rough gasp and regains his consciousness.
Cough!
As if Moyong Baek wanted to head home fast, he grabs the guy by the collar.
“Yah, quickly guide me to the Great Raven Clan.”
He raises the guy to his feet.
“Where is it?”
He points to the direction with his hand.
At first, it didn’t seem like he would walk by himself, but I deliberately pass the two and say,
“Let’s go. Ehh, But Moyong is so good at using medicine, at acupuncture, all around a trustworthy person. Our Moyong Moyong Moyong, physician Baek.”
Moyong Baek lowers his head and urges the guy who is walking slowly.
“Will you not move faster?”
“My body is…”
“Want another hit?”
“N-No.”
“Get up. You can do it.”
I am feeling better today.
When I checked back I could see Moyong Baek bullying the man by raising him up by his ear.
As I thought.
Seeing Moyong Baek grow up makes me so happy.
