Just Eat Your Meal.
I stared blankly at the shining dagger stuck in the table. “When I was young, there was a fun older brother in the neighborhood. You know, there’s always one person like that in every neighborhood. Cheerful, funny, and kind to me. He had a manly personality too.”
“…….”
“The life-and-death duel in our neighborhood went like this. Each person would stick their dagger into the table, then we would try to resolve things through conversation. If that didn’t work, we would each grab our daggers and stab the other. It was a life-and-death duel, but not every time did someone die. Still, at least a finger or two would definitely get cut off. To my young eyes, it was quite a brutal fight. The people from my hometown never backed down easily.”
I looked at Yusa-cheong. “One day, I found that older brother dead on the table. I wasn’t really surprised. My grandfather cleaned up the body, and I came with a rag to wipe the table. But the rag kept getting caught on the table. When I looked closely, there were dozens of dagger marks on the table. I thought to myself, at least the older brother I knew didn’t die while fighting poorly. I wiped that table more than once a day, and each time I wondered how to accept my feelings.”
“…….”
“The table never wiped clean because of the knife marks.”
“…….”
“I suddenly can’t remember his name. He was an orphan too, so there’s no way to find out. Anyway, some time passed, but the one who killed that older brother met the same fate at my hands.”
I pulled out the shining dagger. “In the end, it all came back around to me.”
Yusa-cheong, bound, trembled all over.
A grown man was even shedding tears.
Finally, Yusa-cheong spoke. “P-please spare me!”
“Ah, the blood has been released?”
“Please spare me. I will tell you everything I know. I will cooperate unconditionally.”
“I don’t know what you plan to say, but I’m not interested.” I extended the shining dagger and cut the bindings around Yusa-cheong.
The thick rope was cut easily, like slicing through dumplings.
I grabbed Yusa-cheong’s arm and placed it on the table. “The blood has only been released. If you can’t gather your wits from now on, you’ll regret it. Calm your breathing.” I held his hand tightly. “And, why do I want to kill you?”
I unleashed the Absorbing Breath Technique.
“Guh… huck…”
Yusa-cheong’s pure internal energy flowed into my body through my heart.
I paused the Absorbing Breath Technique for a moment and sent a stream of true energy to scout within Yusa-cheong’s body.
Then I resumed the Absorbing Breath Technique.
After a while, the scouting true energy returned to my body.
Before long, Yusa-cheong’s face was a mix of tears, mucus, and saliva.
I observed Yusa-cheong’s condition, then stopped the Absorbing Breath Technique and took a breath.
I too needed to gather my energy right away.
The extreme yin true energy bubbling from my dantian rose to my crown, making my face feel hot, and I sensed a reddish light mixing into my vision.
I turned Yusa-cheong’s palm over and stabbed the shining dagger into the back of his hand.
With a thud, the dagger pierced through his hand and stuck into the table.
As Yusa-cheong let out a long scream, I said, “Quiet down. When that Dokgo-seng wakes up, he’ll come here and twist your neck several times. Wouldn’t it be better to endure the pain than to die?”
“Guh…”
I glared at Yusa-cheong from the corner of my eye, then sat cross-legged on the chair and began to gather my energy. “If you’re confident, pull it out and attack. That’s how our neighborhood’s life-and-death duel works.”
I began to gather my energy while keeping Yusa-cheong beside me.
Although it had been a short time, I had burned quite a bit of true energy and stacked it into my internal power.
Yet, I felt a strange sensation knowing that my realm in the Golden Sky Soaring Art was still stuck in the Flame Realm.
Indeed, from the mid-stage onward, conquering each realm became truly difficult.
Even now, I could break through the Flame Realm if I pushed myself.
However, the comprehensive principles of martial arts contained within the Golden Sky Soaring Art did not desire that, so I did not rush.
After calmly completing a full cycle of energy gathering, I opened my eyes to find Yusa-cheong had stopped the blood flow by blocking the circulation in his arm in his own way.
Yusa-cheong, with a pale expression, said, “……I’ve temporarily stopped the bleeding.”
It seemed Yusa-cheong had regained some composure.
Pleas for his life and promises to tell me everything wouldn’t work on me.
I looked at Yusa-cheong and replied briefly, “Good job.”
“Yes.”
When I pulled out the shining dagger, Yusa-cheong quickly tore his clothing with one hand and his mouth, wrapping his hand tightly.
I poured some alcohol into an empty cup and offered it to Yusa-cheong.
Only then did Yusa-cheong drink the alcohol with his good hand, as if he were drinking water after a long time in the desert.
After drinking a cup, Yusa-cheong opened his eyes, filled with bloodshot determination. “Thank you.”
I also drank and said, “The reason the head of the Muak Sect and Lady Cheolseom bowed their heads to me is that their residence is fixed. They know I could wipe out the Muak Sect or go to Yuhwa Valley and set it ablaze, so they came to apologize, putting aside their pride. It’s not that they have less pride than you; they have disciples to protect and family to feed, so they feel a sense of responsibility.”
I continued, pointing at Yusa-cheong. “But I’m not particularly interested in your circumstances. You’re the owner of a gambling house, after all.”
“Yes.”
“Your way to survive.”
“Please tell me.”
“If you can’t help me kill the Dragon Lord and Teacher Su, there’s no reason for me to keep you alive. Those two came at me first, but they were bound to be obstacles in my path. That’s why Daenachal died, and that’s why Heuksunboju died.
I’m an orphan who died like the older brother stabbed by a knife, so I have nothing to protect like Yuhwa Valley or Muak Sect. The subordinates gathered here? Daenachal’s disciples, Heuksunbo’s leftovers, the subordinates of those I killed are all mixed together.
You don’t even qualify to be my subordinate right now, and your chances of surviving in my hands are low. Your life depends solely on how you deal with the Dragon Lord and Teacher Su, so how will you persuade me?”
Yusa-cheong looked like he was about to faint, desperately choosing his words, and for a moment, he seemed to lose consciousness and slammed his head onto the table.
Thud!
I sighed. “Tsk.”
Why do more and more people faint while talking to me? ‘Should I consult with Teacher Moyong…’
At that moment, Dokgo-seng walked out from inside and asked me, “Have you had a conversation?”
“I was talking, but he fainted.”
Dokgo-seng placed his hand on Yusa-cheong’s neck. “He’s still breathing.”
Dokgo-seng glared at me and said, “Get some rest. Your eyes are red. Unusually purplish.”
Only then did I get up from my seat. “He’s sleeping.”
At the urging of my subordinates to eat, I washed my face roughly and returned to the main hall.
Even without any disputes, the hastily prepared food was piled high on the table.
Scratching my head, I sat down and began to eat.
One by one, those who had been sitting there yesterday returned to their seats and started eating.
Sogun-pyeong asked while eating, “Should we go after the Dragon Lord first or Teacher Su?”
I replied while chewing on a vegetable, “I don’t know.”
Baek-in asked, “Where did Yusa-cheong go?”
“I don’t know. Just eat first.”
I’m a man who doesn’t know many things.
While eating, the main hall door opened, and Dokgo-seng and Yusa-cheong entered together.
The gazes of the officers and disciples were fixed on the two.
Dokgo-seng came first, pulling out a chair for the swaying Yusa-cheong. “Sit.”
Yusa-cheong greeted and sat down. “Thank you.”
Everyone shook their heads while eating.
Yusa-cheong’s face was covered in blood but had been washed.
Dokgo-seng patted Yusa-cheong’s back and said, “Let’s eat. You should eat a lot too.”
“Yes.”
I wondered how much he had been beaten to be in such a state.
I was relieved that Yusa-cheong was still alive.
While eating, I teased Dokgo-seng. “Is it okay to be that cruel?”
Dokgo-seng replied, “Don’t make such boring jokes to me. They’re not funny at all.”
Dokgo-seng explained Yusa-cheong’s condition to the others. “This guy’s hand was stabbed by our leader. I heard his internal energy was also taken. And he was so scared of our leader that it was very hard for me to talk to him. I only hit him a few times. Yusa-cheong, am I wrong?”
Yusa-cheong replied while eating, “That’s right.”
Dokgo-seng said something strange to the crowd. “The leader has many things to worry about. I’ll take care of this guy now. Bear with it.”
Dokgo-seng really seemed to have a bad personality, as no one replied.
Suddenly, Dokgo-seng patted Yusa-cheong’s back once. “Eat a lot.”
“Yes.”
At that moment, I felt a chill run down my spine.
As Dokgo-seng kept talking to me informally, Cha Seong-tae interjected. “Dokgo-seng, you’ve had a lot of trouble.”
“……!”
In an instant, the gazes of the crowd shifted between Cha Seong-tae and Dokgo-seng.
Dokgo-seng replied with an indifferent expression, “General Cha, you’re also just wasting food.”
As everyone chuckled at Dokgo-seng’s words, Cha Seong-tae’s face turned red again.
Everyone ate in silence, but Yusa-cheong opened his mouth. “Leader.”
“What?”
“If you allow me, I will bring troops and go in the vanguard… with Dokgo-seng.”
I glared at Yusa-cheong and replied, “Just eat your meal.”
“Yes.”
As I was finishing my meal, I said to Sogun-pyeong, “Now that I’m full, let’s drink some alcohol.”
Sogun-pyeong grinned and replied, “Shall we?”
I was now the leader of the most pathetic bunch in the world.
I had no plans and no direction.
All I had in my mind was a broad strategy and the belief that those who needed to die would die by my hands.
While drinking, Baek-yu said to me, “Great Master, I will perform a fan dance.”
“Go ahead.”
Baek-yu, after drinking, began to dance, and Dokgo-seng started to tease Yusa-cheong again, while Cha Seong-tae drank and occasionally glared at Dokgo-seng with half-closed eyes.
In the meantime, Hong-sin sang as Baek-yu danced.
Baek-yu still maintained a dignified demeanor while drinking.
Cheong-jin looked at these fools with discontent.
It was truly chaotic.
I too felt the effects of the alcohol rising and looked at my subordinates, clicking my tongue. “Ah, pathetic bastards.”
What on earth was Dokgo-seng saying to tease Yusa-cheong? Yusa-cheong, who had been silently listening, was now shedding tears.
Since I was waiting for the enemy’s strength to weaken on its own, there was no need for me to do anything.
Eventually, in this chaotic scene, I crossed my legs on the chair and fell into meditation.
The sound of Hong-sin’s singing faded away.
The words of Dokgo-seng and Yusa-cheong’s sobs also disappeared.
“……”
In a daze, the effects of the alcohol and meditation mixed together…
Before I knew it, I was sitting in the old Zahak Tavern.
“Zahak, give me a bowl of noodles.”
A neighborhood older brother dressed in clean white entered the tavern and sat down.
I took a clean cloth and went to wipe the table where he sat.
The table was clean, so it wiped easily.
“Where are you going? You’re all dressed up nicely.”
While I sat across from the older brother I hadn’t seen in a long time, he silently ate his noodles.
After he finished the broth cleanly, he set the bowl down and asked me, “Don’t you remember my name? That’s disappointing.”
“What was your name again?”
He revealed his name, but I didn’t remember, so I answered vaguely. “Ah, right. Now I remember.”
“I ate well.”
As he was paying and getting up, I asked, “Where are you going all dressed up? To meet a woman?”
He shook his head and smiled brightly. “Woman? I’m starting anew.”
“Are you not going to fight anymore? You should take revenge on Jo Yi-gyeol.”
“He’s already dead, so what revenge? Anyway, thank you. I’m off.”
I locked eyes with him for a moment and smiled. “Good luck with your new start.”
The older brother smiled back at me as he left the Zahak Tavern. “Yeah.”
...
As soon as I opened my eyes again, I let out a long breath, trembling.
It was a strange dream, but I didn’t think it was odd.
I just thought that the neighborhood older brother seemed to be starting anew.
While looking at my subordinates, one corner of my mouth lifted up.