The Wind River Inn, where I stayed for two days after returning to my hometown. The name of the rather sharp-looking waiter I met there is Gu-sam. How could they name a person, not a cow or a dog, 'the third mouth to feed'?
I thought his parents were too harsh, but most poor families are like that. When children are born one after another, worry precedes joy. They have to work their fingers to the bone farming, and survive on the grains harvested in the autumn until the barley ripens early next summer.
Especially, getting through the harsh winter when everything freezes over is a real pain. It would be nice if they could hibernate like snakes or bears, but they have to eat at least one meal a day to live, so if food is scarce, they have no choice but to reduce the number of mouths to feed.
It must have been on such a sorrowful winter day. The day Gu-sam was abandoned in front of the Wind River Inn. Gu-sam could barely remember his own name, but he did not know his parents' faces.
Surprisingly, the inn owner didn't chase him away but took him in and raised him. He was a good person, hard to find then as it is now. How would I know the trivial details of a waiter who has nothing to do with me?
I couldn't not know even if I wanted to. Because that fellow Gu-sam comes to visit every day, chattering away.
“Wow, Hero, are you really living here? The atmosphere is so spooky. At night, ghosts might appear…”
“Get lost.”
“Hehe, you must be hungry, right? I brought some food.”
When I glared, annoyed, and tried to chase him away, Gu-sam quickly presented a bundle. “You haven't had dinner yet, have you?" I was indeed hungry.
I needed to eat something, but I didn't want to go all the way to the inn, so I was just chewing on the leftover dry rations and jerky. If I eat this, I won't be able to coldly chase him away. But it's also not right to ignore the sincerity of him bringing food all this way.
While I hesitated between the annoyance of dealing with an uninvited guest and the bother of not wanting to go outside the gate, Gu-sam quickly went into the room. When I followed him, he had already spread the food out on the table.
White rice, stir-fried vegetables with shredded chicken, dumplings, and he even brought tea water in a bamboo container. Without a word, I took out 10 coins from my pouch.
“You don't have to give me anything.”
“Take it. Just say you came to deliver it for money. If you keep sneaking food out, you'll get a beating.”
“The master doesn't hit me much.”
“Then you should behave even better.”
Accepting things for free is fine once or twice. Sooner or later, he's bound to get caught. If it's misunderstood that I threatened him to bring it, I might lose a few silver taels.
It was better for my peace of mind to just make it seem like a delivery. As I lived my life, I realized it wasn't just bad guys who put me in danger. Sometimes, the kindness of the have-nots is more dangerous than the greed of the haves.
"Have you ever seen the people who used to live here?"
“No. This place was a complete ruin, so I never came near it.”
I felt displeased that he kept calling my house, filled with memories, a ruin. My tone became a bit more blunt. “Are you allowed to leave the inn?"
“Hehe, I finished all the cleaning and ingredient prep before I came. I have some time until the evening service starts." Why does this kid keep visiting me so frequently?
He didn't say anything, but I could roughly tell just by looking at the admiration in his eyes. As I pretended not to notice and ate, an impatient Gu-sam watched my expression and opened his mouth.
“Hero, you're a martial artist, aren't you?”
“What's a martial artist?”
At the fundamental question, Gu-sam blinked his eyes like a fool. “That is… someone who carries a sword?"
“Officials also carry swords. Are they martial artists too?”
“No.” “What about bandits?"
"Definitely not."
Gu-sam shook his head from side to side. “Hero, you knocked down that hooligan with a single blow before, right? Couldn't you teach me something like that?
Hehe."
“Is there a butcher shop in this neighborhood?"
“Yes. There is."
“Go there.”
“Should I go get some meat?" “No. Go there and learn."
“What?"
"How to use a knife."
Gu-sam tilted his head with a bewildered expression.
“A butcher or a martial artist, they're the same. A butcher catches beasts, and a martial artist catches people, that's the only difference. Hmm, no, that's not right.”
After saying it, I thought it was a bit unfair.
“Right? It's not, is it?" "There are many people who are worse than beasts, so a butcher might be better. It means a martial artist is worse than even a butcher.”
“Aww, that's nonsense. Hero, you're a true hero, aren't you?”
A hero…
I stopped my chopsticks and looked up. Seeing Gu-sam's sparkling eyes made me feel bitter for some reason. If he had seen me drenched in blood, swinging my sword like a demon, he would never say such things.
“Whether they're a hero or whatever, those who carry swords at their waists are fated to die a violent death by another's blade.”
“So you're saying I should live a long and thin life?”
“You're not slow on the uptake." “I hear that a lot. But isn't it better to live a thick and long life?
The old doctor says that even with poop, thick is much better than thin. If your poop gets thin, toxins from the hardened stool built up in your intestines rise up…” “If you poop a thick one, your butthole might tear…”
I flinched while picking up a dumpling and trailed off. We're talking about poop while eating. Why did the conversation get so dirty...
Frowning, I put the dumpling in my mouth. "If you become moderately strong, you'll just get hit more.”
“Yes. I think so too.”
Gu-sam scratched his head and sighed. While chewing the dumpling, I examined his face. A bruise I hadn't seen yesterday was clear on his left eye.
His cheek seemed a bit swollen too.
“How old are you?”
“Me?
I'm probably around twelve. I'm not sure exactly." At Gu-sam's age, I killed a person for the first time.
The human scum of a fake relative who ruined my life. It wouldn't be surprising if Gu-sam had such an enemy. Grudges know neither age nor status, after all.
Many hooligans and martial artists visit the inn. Living as a powerless waiter, he must have faced many unfair situations.
“Is there someone you want to kill?”
When I asked seriously, Gu-sam's eyes widened in surprise.
“No. Why would I kill someone?”
“Then?"
"There's this guy named Bang Hojin, the first son of the cloth merchant. He's my age, and that bastard is the boss of the alley in this neighborhood…"
As if he had been waiting for me to ask, Gu-sam excitedly recounted the long story. It was serious and tragic in its own way, but if I had to summarize it in one phrase, it was 'a children's fight'. I couldn't help but chuckle, but it wasn't something to be ignored.
The world of children is just as fierce as that of adults. One might think it wouldn't hurt much to be hit by their small, not-yet-fully-grown hands and feet, but among those of the dark path, there were cases where they would give blades to children and use them as assassins.
I've seen more than one or two guys who went to their graves because they underestimated children. The fake relative who died by my hand was one such case. These ordinary neighborhood kids, at best, only threw wild punches.
Most of them would fall down and burst into tears after being hit once, out of pain and fear. Even if they just had the guts and tenacity to get back up after being hit and charge like a water ghost, at least they wouldn't be beaten up all the time.
“I tried.
I've tried many times, but it doesn't work." They had fought a whopping 12 times so far, and he said he lost 11 times. To think of fighting again after that, Gu-sam was a more impressive kid than I thought.
“Did you win the one time?"
“It was a draw… I was getting beaten up for a while, no, I was fighting, when the cloth merchant's second son came running and said, 'Mom said if you don't come home to eat right now, she's gonna hit your butt with a broom until it's on fire.' So. It was a draw, but it somehow felt like a loss.”
Gu-sam's swollen and bruised face became sullen. Gu-sam didn't want to become a martial artist. Nor did he aspire to be a ruffian or a gangster who carried a sword at his waist and caused trouble.
He didn't dream of becoming an unmatched master or the number one under heaven. He wasn't trying to beat up the cloth merchant's son and become the new boss of the alley, ruling over the Western Village's Alley.
He just wanted to escape being looked down on by the other kids for being an orphan without parents, and being teased and bullied for being a waiter. To do that, he had to defeat Bang Hojin, the first son of the cloth merchant and the boss of the alley in this neighborhood, in front of the other children.
Looking at his record so far, it was impossible with his own strength. Unless a fateful encounter fell from the sky, no matter how many times he fought, he would only increase the number of his defeats. I slowly finished the food, rinsed my mouth with the cold tea water, and stood up.
“Follow me.”
I went outside and stood facing Gu-sam in the middle of the yard. Since I had cleared away all the clutter and even finished weeding, the yard was as spacious and clean as any training ground. “Is there anything you usually train in?"
“Of course.
Want to see?"
“Go ahead.”
Gu-sam confidently placed both fists on his waist and spread his feet shoulder-width apart. He bent his knees halfway into an awkward stance and began to hold it.
"What are you doing?"
Gu-sam looked at me quizzically, as if asking how I couldn't know this. “It's the horse stance, isn't it? They say this is the best for strengthening the lower body and learning the basics."
“Who says?"
“A guest who stayed at the inn before… Is this not good?" “It would be good to use when you're being punished.
In a real fight, never stand foolishly like that. You must move endlessly, again and again, to make the opponent's attacks miss. If you want to train your lower body, it's better to climb mountains.
It builds leg strength and makes your body more agile. Straighten your posture and take one step forward with just your left foot." Gu-sam, who had been moving without thinking, suddenly looked up at me as if he just realized something.
“Don't tell me you're going to teach me martial arts? Oh, Master, let me bow first..."
“Stop.”
I coldly stopped Gu-sam, who was subtly trying to bow.
“Do you even know what it means to form a master-disciple relationship?”
“That is… isn't it about carrying on the lineage of the martial arts?"
"What?"
I stared straight at the blankly looking Gu-sam and made sure he understood how heavy and brutal a matter it was.
“There are many who hold a grudge against me. If they come seeking revenge and find I have a disciple, they will try to kill him along with me. They might even hire assassins or swordsmen. Becoming someone's disciple means inheriting not only their martial arts but also the master's grudges. Can you handle that?”
“I-is that so?" Flustered, Gu-sam's face rapidly darkened. No matter how desperately he wanted to win, inheriting a grudge of blood washing away blood was an absurd thing even for the young Gu-sam.
“Then I guess I can't do that......." Disappointed, Gu-sam's head dropped and his shoulders slumped.
“Instead of martial arts, I'll show you a few basic fist and foot techniques.”
"Aren't fist and foot techniques also martial arts?"
“It's nothing so grand. It's a method known by any martial artist who lives by the sword. So don't go around saying you learned it from me. I'm just showing you.”
“Yes! I understand!”
While Gu-sam, his face brightened again, watched intently, I gave a light demonstration. I stood with my feet shoulder-width apart. I took one step forward with my left foot and naturally twisted my upper body diagonally to the right.
Pushing off the ground with my back foot, I advanced five steps. Then, pushing off the ground with my front foot, I retreated five steps. Pushing off the ground sideways with my left foot, I moved five steps to the right.
Pushing off the ground sideways with my right foot, I moved five steps to the left. I returned to the starting position.
“Your turn.”
Gu-sam had a bewildered expression. He had expected to learn how to throw a punch or do a cool kick, but instead, it was a random walking practice. It seemed he didn't understand.
Still, without complaint, he got into position and took steps as I instructed. He followed easily after watching just once. It wasn't because Gu-sam's talent for martial arts was outstanding, but because this footwork itself was originally extremely simple and clear.
After finishing the movements of five steps forward, backward, left, and right, Gu-sam scratched his head and asked.
“What is this?”
“It's footwork.”
“Does this help in a fight?"
“It does.”
He looked unconvinced. A hint of doubt crept into his eyes, which had been sparkling with excitement and anticipation.
“Stand in front of me.”
Gu-sam quickly came and stood right in front of me.
“Try to hit me with your fist.”
“The Hero?"
"Then who else is in front of you besides me?"
Gu-sam looked back and forth between his fist and my face.
"Will it be okay?"
"Why?"
"What if the Hero gets hit?"
I couldn't help but chuckle at his absurd words. This kid has big dreams.
“That won't happen.”
“But there's always a one-in-a-million chance, isn't there?" “Even if you hit me, I won't fight back, so begin."
“Really?"
“Yes.”
“For real?"
“Have you lived your whole life just getting hit?”
“... Yes." Gu-sam pathetically hung his head. “If you can lay even a single finger on my body, I will teach you the fist and foot techniques right away.” "For real?" “Stop asking and mov…” Before I could finish my sentence, Gu-sam threw a punch. It was a decent attempt to catch me off guard, but it was slow. I slightly twisted my upper body to the side and let the punch slide past. "Huh?" "What are you doing? I told you to hit me.”
“Yes. Here I come!”
Gu-sam rolled up his sleeves and rushed at me. As if to show him, I pushed off the ground with my front foot and took a step back. Since I really didn't fight back, the boy swung his fists without holding back.
I didn't run far away, but moved right in front of him using the footwork, evading his punches. Gu-sam tried with all his might to hit me somehow. He was desperate, but his movements were too big and heavy, making them easy to read.
Every time he took a step, his center of gravity shifted forward, and he lost his balance. He used too much unnecessary force to move his body and change direction. Wasting his energy like that, he quickly grew tired and panted.
I was still at ease, as if taking a stroll. After dealing with him for a little longer, I decided it was enough and closed the distance in an instant by pushing off the ground with my back foot. When my face suddenly appeared right in front of his nose, Gu-sam was startled and stepped back.
When I followed, he fled to the side. No matter which direction he moved, I stuck to him like a shadow.
“Uwaaaah!”
Gu-sam, pale as if he'd seen a ghost, scrambled in a panic and fell backward. As I waved my hand to clear the dust, Gu-sam's dumbfounded face came into view. “Do you understand now?
How important footwork is."