10. The considerate Joikyeol spoke as if he was about to reveal a secret.
"The Black Cat Sect is one of the Twelve Divine Generals. Few know exactly where he ranks among them. Moreover, there is said to be a mad master above the Twelve Divine Generals who controls them."
Joikyeol was babbling about something I already knew well.
He pounded his chest.
"Touching me means stepping into a terrifying world you cannot comprehend..."
I plunged the Woonryong Dagger into Joikyeol's hand as he spoke.
Thud!
"Ugh...!" The dagger pierced through his hand and penetrated his chest.
In a calm tone, I continued my final conversation with Joikyeol.
"You talk too much. You should be begging for your life, yet you threaten me."
Even in that moment, Joikyeol looked at me with disbelief.
As I pulled out the Woonryong Dagger, Joikyeol's face fell into his own blood.
Thud...! Blood splattered everywhere from the table.
I subtly hinted at the truth that would soon unfold for the dead Joikyeol.
"I am the one who is said to be the craziest in that terrifying world."
I spoke to Joikyeol's subordinates who were digging into the ground.
"Moles, stop digging."
The subordinates, thinking it was Joikyeol's command, paused and replied, "Understood."
"Come in and clean this up."
As three men in black robes entered, their expressions changed.
"Gasp..."
"Huh!" It was natural for them to be surprised, as it was Joikyeol's corpse waiting for them, not Jeomsoui's.
I looked at the three and said, "Why are you so surprised? You were brandishing swords and now you lie dead like fools."
As one of them reached for his sword, the man next to him stopped him as if to say not to draw it.
It was a fitting restraint since Joikyeol's martial arts skills far surpassed theirs.
I spoke to the one who was about to draw his sword.
"Why are you hesitating to draw your sword? You should finish what you started."
"No, it was a spontaneous reaction."
"Are you stronger than Joikyeol?" "No." "If you were stronger, Joikyeol wouldn't be digging in the ground. Why did you dig? Are you out of your mind?" "I will come to my senses."
"Take off your masks. Let's see if I recognize any faces."
As the three men removed their masks, their sweaty faces were revealed.
They were all unfamiliar faces, mere youngsters not yet twenty years old.
"I haven't seen you in Iyang-hyeon. Are you from the Black Cat Sect?" "We are not from the Black Cat Sect. We each come from different hometowns. We work at Ihwaru."
"Is that so?" The fact that they were unfamiliar to me meant they were as good as dead.
"Is that so? So you are just ordinary men working at Ihwaru. Joikyeol ordered you to bury a corpse today, and without a second thought, you ordinary men were digging like moles. Will you all die here, or will you bury the dead and then return to your hometowns?"
One of them replied first.
"If you spare us, we will go back to our hometown."
"There are circumstances that prevent us from going back to our hometown, but we will never return to Ihwaru."
"If you spare me, I won't even come near."
I nodded.
"Take care of the dead and all of you disappear."
As I gestured for them to leave, one man asked an unexpected question.
"Excuse me, who are you?" I pondered the intent behind the question for a moment.
"What do you mean, who am I?" "Yes."
"I am Jeomsoui from the Jahagakjeon."
"I don't think so."
It seemed he thought Jeomsoui couldn't kill Joikyeol.
I ordered the one spouting nonsense to clean the blood from the table and floor, while instructing the other two to move the corpse.
The young man found a rag for himself and came back with an empty bucket to wipe up the blood, repeating the process of wringing out the rag.
I asked the one wringing out the blood, "Where is the youngest Rujoo these days?" "I haven't seen him lately."
"Do you know what the youngest Rujoo does?" The one cleaning stopped and looked at me.
"Yes, I know."
"Recite it."
"He goes quite far to abduct young or poor girls. Should I say he supplies or tames courtesans? That's what he does."
"What a great villain."
The man swallowed once before speaking.
"Am I going to die too?" "You will die someday. If you meet someone like me while living."
"What about today?" "Not today."
"Thank you. I will serve you as my elder from now on."
"Someone like you is not worthy of being my junior."
I was serious.
To be my brother, one must have some outstanding quality, whether in martial arts or otherwise.
"I apologize."
"For what?" "For being a fool."
I unexpectedly burst into laughter at this response.
His expression showed no change at all.
"Ah, that was sudden."
I chuckled and said to the young man, "If you've finished cleaning, get lost."
"Do you need anyone to work in the kitchen? If I don't go to Ihwaru, I will have a hard time making a living."
The young people here always found making a living to be the biggest problem.
I tilted my head and asked, "Can you cook well?" "Yes."
"Can you make Gyeoduk Noodles well?" "Gyeoduk Noodles are basic, aren't they?" "Hmm."
Suddenly, I felt like I was the one who couldn't even handle the basics.
I needed a cook, but not right now.
"I do need one, but not at this moment. You will stay here and get caught by Jo's men and die."
"Why?" I said in a serious tone and with a solemn expression.
"That is your fate. You three conspired to bury Joikyeol, didn't you?" "Yes?" "What will happen to you now?" "No..."
"Jo Ilseong is a very ruthless man. He is a heartless person. Even if you run away to the dung pit of the Demon Sect, he will find you."
Only then did the young man's face turn pale.
"We just dug a grave."
"Oh, that grave was actually yours."
"Joikyeol didn't die at our hands."
"Does the Jianghu life seem that easy? If the leader dies and the subordinates do nothing but bury him, that is grounds for immediate execution. Hurry and go, if you don't want to die. Take your friends with you."
"They are not friends. By the way, what will you do if those guys go to Ihwaru and report?" I pointed to the weapons on the table.
"What do you think that is?" "A sword and a whip. There's also a blood-stained sickle."
"What does that mean?" "It means preparations for war are complete. You fool."
Only then did the young man look at me as if I were crazy.
"Anyway."
"Yes."
"If you three are also swayed by the idea of revenge and can't stay still, come with Jo's men. Let's have our life-and-death duel then. At that time, I will show you the true ruthless nature of the Jianghu."
The aspiring cook replied, "I will decline that duel. By the way, brother, I apologize for the late introduction."
"Shut up and get lost."
"Yes."
Despite being told to leave, the aspiring cook organized the rag and returned the cleaning tools to their original place before bowing at the front of the inn.
"Next time, I will make you a nice bowl of Gyeoduk Noodles."
"You should do something about your own life that you’ve wasted."
"Ah, understood. Then please rest well."
The aspiring cook began to run into the darkness...
After a while, when those who buried Joikyeol also disappeared, the Jahagakjeon returned to silence.
On such a night, it would be perfect to eat Gyeoduk Noodles.
"Tsk..."
Suddenly, I looked out into the darkness outside the inn and said, "Is that a rat?"
From the darkness, a rat with an eye patch on one side walked out and replied, "What are you planning to do now?" I looked at the eye patch of Cha Seong-tae.
"You said your eye was fine?" Cha Seong-tae pointed to his eye patch.
"It's psychological warfare."
"Not just for show?" "It's part of a scheme. I reported that I injured one eye and then slipped away to where the physician was to observe the situation. Otherwise, I would have been digging here myself. I am quite sharp and useful, you see. Do you understand?" "Excellent."
"Thank you. I have no choice but to survive. By the way, what will you do from now on? Will you strike Jo Ilseong like this? Or will you wait here?" "Did you convey my message clearly?" "What did you say? I didn't catch that."
"I think I said I would spare you if you came under me, but Joikyeol came looking for me with a sword."
"Indeed."
"He had his subordinates dig his own grave boldly. As you can see, the result is like this. Will Jo Ilseong be any different?" "Jo Ilseong is the most cunning, isn't he? He leaves the dirty work to the youngest and the sword work to the second. He is someone who would feel some discomfort and hide, then report to the Black Cat Sect. In terms of cunning, he is the first in Iyang-hyeon. He doesn't just occupy the three Gilu for nothing."
"Seong-tae."
"Yes."
I looked at the darkened street and said, "Bring me some Tangchorichak."
"Why?" "I have alcohol, but no side dishes."
"Suddenly? We were talking about Jo Ilseong..."
"I think he's dead."
"Isn't he still alive?" "Once he is out of my sight, he becomes a corpse. Will Jo Ilseong be any different? If left like this, Iyang-hyeon will only be devastated. He must die."
He was someone who would make the youngest engage in human trafficking and instruct the second to commit murder, so I was simply thinking of killing him.
In the long run, they were also people who would hand over all of Iyang-hyeon to the Black Cat Sect.
Cha Seong-tae, looking puzzled, asked, "By the way, is there really no side dish in the inn? What a funny inn. I will go, so give me some money."
I shook my head.
"There isn't."
Cha Seong-tae turned away with a sullen expression and let out a short sigh.
"What does Jahagakjeon have?" "Nothing. I made bibimbap with the leftover side dishes I had."
"It used to be rumored as a Gyeoduk Noodles hot spot, how did it fall so low? It fell disgracefully. Tangchorichak and what else?" There was a bit of sharpness in his tone.
After all, it was only natural for someone who used to be the manager of Mehwa-ru to feel displeased doing errands for Jeomsoui.
In respect for Cha Seong-tae, I replied, "I just need the Tangchorichak. You can buy whatever side dish you like. Buy plenty. If there's any left, I can eat it tomorrow."
Consideration, impressive.
"I will buy plenty."
As I watched Cha Seong-tae grumble and walk away, I said in a cold tone, "Seong-tae."
"What?" "Are you walking? Going for a stroll? Crawling? Like a turtle?" "Damn it!" Cha Seong-tae swallowed his curse and ran off somewhere. 'That bastard.' Cha Seong-tae's face turned bright red.
He never expected he would be running errands for Jeomsoui in his lifetime.
I called out to the disappearing Cha Seong-tae in the darkness. "…Are you going with your little feet?" From the darkness, a half-muttered curse broke the silence.
"Damn it."