Episode 271. The Disciple of the Four Great Villains

“First Master, did you sleep well?”

“I did.”

I came out in front of the inn and watched Yorani offering her morning greetings in turn.

“Second Master, did you have a bad dream last night?”

“I did. I slept well.”

While Sword Demon and Ghost Demon still seemed awkward and at a loss for words, Yorani came before me and bowed her head deeply.

“Third Master.”

“Mm.”

Yorani looked up at me and spoke.

“Did you get some sleep? Were you up all night?”

I shook my head.

“No. I slept well too.”

“Yes.”

Yorani moved to the side and bowed her head to Lust Demon.

“……Eldest Martial Brother, did you sleep well?”

Lust Demon let out a sigh and then nodded.

“Yorani, you should call me Youngest Master. Why did you suddenly switch back to Eldest Martial Brother overnight? Yesterday you called me Youngest Master.”

Yorani glanced at me furtively and said to Lust Demon,

“If I do that, I would have to call the First Master ‘Martial Uncle.’ The Third Master said Eldest Martial Brother is correct.”

“Who said that?”

“The Third Master.”

I cheered Yorani on from the side.

“You’re a clever one.”

Perhaps because there were many morning greetings, Yorani soon walked to the side and bowed to Cha Seongtae.

“Chief Manager, you slept well too, right?”

Cha Seongtae shook his head.

“No, I had a nightmare last night.”

“What kind of nightmare?”

“I dreamed I was getting beaten up by your Third Master at the inn. And running errands for drinking snacks all night long.”

Yorani clutched her stomach with both hands and burst into laughter.

Cha Seongtae said with a dumbfounded expression.

“You’re laughing?”

“I’m sorry.”

I said to Cha Seongtae,

“Which scoundrel dares point a finger at our disciple’s laughter?”

Cha Seongtae snorted and looked at Yorani.

“Yorani, you shouldn’t laugh like that when you hear about someone else’s nightmare.”

“Yes, Chief Manager.”

“Go inside and get ready to eat.”

“Understood.”

Only after Yorani went into the inn did we greet an ordinary morning.

“Whew.”

“Sigh… Goodness.”

“Tsk.”

I don’t know what thoughts everyone was lost in, but several sighs mixed together.

Of course, Yorani’s foster parents were to be taken care of by Jang Deoksu and Martial Sister Hong.

However, Yorani seemed to have seen quite a bit in the Jianghu, as one day she suddenly started calling us Master.

It didn’t seem like anyone had told her to do it.

In the mornings, she would appear slightly later than us and offer her morning greetings, and we didn’t really have a good reason to tell her not to.

Of course, Sword Demon, Ghost Demon, and I still didn’t have any intention of teaching Yorani martial arts. It was more like keeping her company since she called us Master and followed us around. Everyone knew Yorani’s circumstances, and because she was young, it was difficult to say anything.

Sword Demon, who had been observing the morning scenery with the rising sun spreading its light with a serious expression, muttered.

“Being called First Master is burdensome every time I hear it.”

Ghost Demon also sighed.

“Indeed. It seems she’s doing this with the intention of learning martial arts. How about leaving her with the Moyong clan instead?”

I shook my head.

“She says she doesn’t want to. Fortunately, Yayul Yeon seems to be adapting well.”

Yayul Yeon, who would have ended up a maidservant if not for Moyong Baek, was learning the work of a physician.

Just as Lust Demon was about to say something, a clattering sound was heard again, and Yorani appeared, causing all four of us to hurriedly close our mouths at the same time.

Yorani came before me and looked up.

“Third Master.”

“Hm?”

“They say you Masters and the Eldest Martial Brother together are the Four Great Villains?”

I answered with a surprised expression.

“No, who told you that? It’s an old story. We used to be.”

“Not anymore?”

“Not anymore. The Four Great Villains—what nonsense. Why all of a sudden?”

I looked at Yorani.

I had known she was bright, but she would often bring up things she had overheard so casually that it was surprising, and this was one of those moments.

So, what this feels like is…….

Like talking to the youngest martial artist in the Jianghu?

Yorani glanced left and right and answered in a serious tone.

“Last night, I dreamed I became the Fifth Great Villain.”

“The Fifth Great Villain… That might be a bit controversial, don’t you think? If we’re not the Four Great Villains, how could you dream of becoming the Fifth? What a strange dream.”

“Did you retire?”

“Not yet. Ah, I mean we haven’t retired from the Jianghu. We’re not the Four Great Villains. ‘Villain’ isn’t a cool word, so don’t get the wrong idea.”

At that moment, Hongsin came out of the inn, scooped Yorani up, and said,

“Yorani, stop bothering the Masters and let’s go inside.”

“I wasn’t bothering them.”

“The Masters are troubled.”

“Okay.”

After Yorani disappeared for the second time, I let out a sigh.

“This is a problem. A minor as the Fifth Great Villain.”

“Indeed.”

I subtly suggested it because I felt she would hinder the training of the other three and Cha Seongtae.

“Senior Brother, you too—if everyone feels suffocated, go on a training journey or something.”

Lust Demon asked me,

“What about you?”

“I should behave myself at least until my arm fully heals. I’m sick of getting stitches too. I’ve been too reckless.”

“That much is true. You should have caused trouble in moderation.”

While having a staring contest with Lust Demon, Sword Demon opened his mouth in a quiet tone.

“……The Sect Leader’s enemies have grown too numerous. It is troublesome, but even if I went far away, my mind would feel uneasy, so I must adapt. I’m worried when scholars come, and I’m worried when those who aren’t scholars come.”

So the reason these bastards were clinging to the Jaha Inn was, one way or another, because of me.

That thought crossed my mind.

Should I move our base?

My house had been restored intact, but even staying at home was an uncomfortable situation. For one thing, that scholar Chumyeong, whose palm I had pierced through, was surely alive and well somewhere out there. Since he had roughly gauged our combat strength, he definitely wouldn’t appear alone. He would show up with scholars whose strength was at least on par with his own.

I spoke while gazing upon the everyday scenery that looked anything but peaceful.

“Back when I felt certain I could survive in the jianghu. I had thought about traveling the world and searching for outstanding children to take as disciples, but now here I am with a disciple without even having to choose.”

The Lust Demon grumbled.

“He’ll probably call you that a few times and then stop. It’s because he’s too young. An Eldest Martial Brother not even in his fate… Master, are there any precedents for honoring multiple masters, as Yorani does?”

The Sword Demon answered.

“Rare, but not unheard of. And we are not the sort to fuss over etiquette.”

“Yes.”

“I do not know when it may be, but I think it would not be a bad idea for each of us to pass down at least one ultimate technique.”

I looked at the Sword Demon with a surprised expression.

The Sword Demon continued.

“She lost her parents at a young age, so it is right to teach her martial arts that can protect her. However, my martial arts are difficult to pass on. It seems more appropriate for her to learn the sword from Liuhe. What will you teach, Sect Leader?”

“I should teach lightness skill. If you want to survive, lightness skill is the best.”

The Lust Demon answered.

“I will teach the Jade Flower Ice Technique later. In any case, it is martial arts more suitable for a woman. It was developed in the Jade Flower Palace, where only women resided.”

It would not have been very strange for an Eldest Martial Brother to teach martial arts to a little martial sister. Because we were strange ones to begin with.

The Sword Demon asked the Ear Demon.

“Would you be able to teach the sword?”

“It is no difficult task. But she will need to train for at least more than ten years before she can grow into a proper martial artist. I wonder if the four of us can survive in the jianghu for ten years.”

Suddenly, Cha Seongtae, who had been sitting at the lowest seat in the row of chairs, stood up.

“I ate breakfast early, so I shall go train for a while and return.”

“Off you go.”

Cha Seongtae looked around at us, clasped his fists, then turned and headed off somewhere.

For some reason, sighs came out of their own accord today.

Perhaps this was the burden that parents or masters felt. While I was sighing repeatedly, Jang Deuksu came out of the inn and looked around at us as though he had something to say.

I asked.

“What is it?”

Jang Deuksu spoke while wiping his hands on his apron.

“Today, let us all gather and eat together. Do not eat separately. Please come up to this floor.”

At Jang Deuksu’s order, the Four Great Evils rose without a word. It was only natural to obey the command of the one who feeds you.

“If the innkeeper tells us to come up, we must go up.”

When we went up to that floor, a sumptuous feast rarely seen on ordinary days was prepared on the largest round table.

“…….”

Not only side dishes I had never managed to eat from Brother Deuksu before, but also foods we often ate, including pork spine bones, were spread out. It was truly an excessive spread for breakfast.

Hong Sin, who had been setting down chopsticks, spoke.

“Please sit. Sect Leader, Masters. Yorani, come eat.”

Once we had taken our seats, Jang Deuksu, having removed his apron, sat down as well. Yorani was poking her face out between Jang Deuksu and Hong Sin.

After drinking some water, I asked Brother Deuksu.

“Why is the spread so lavish?”

Yorani answered.

“Me?”

“Not you.”

Jang Deuksu smiled and held out his hand.

“Let us talk while we eat.”

We picked up our chopsticks and ate. Even for Jang Deuksu, whose hands were quick, the side dishes bore clear signs of having been prepared by waking early at dawn. As I watched, Martial Sister Hong picked up a distant side dish and placed it on top of Yorani’s rice.

Jang Deuksu spoke as he ate.

“……Yorani’s surname and given name are now Jang Yoran.”

It was not unheard of for foster parents to give their surname, so we nodded. The atmosphere was strange, but we forced ourselves to eat while looking at Innkeeper Jang.

Jang Deuksu spoke.

“If she learned cooking from me, Yorani could become an innkeeper too, but she says she has no interest in cooking.”

After looking around at us, Jang Deuksu spoke.

“Our daughter seems to want to learn martial arts from you, Masters. I am sorry she called you Masters first without observing any formalities or manners. I myself know little of jianghu affairs, so I prepared a meal first.”

“…….”

Yorani was watching us with wide, gleaming eyes, making it difficult to know what to say.

The burden seemed to double, and a grain of rice felt stuck in my throat, so I drank some water. Now that I looked, all four of us were drinking water at the same time.

Jang Deuksu’s words continued.

“I know you are busy and that this is a burden. She is still young, so there is no need to teach her as you would a sect disciple……”

Jang Deuksu checked Hong Sin’s expression, then trailed off.

“If I had learned martial arts, I would have taught her myself. It is merely a regret.”

Everyone was silent, so I answered in their stead.

“We will teach her slowly.”

Come to think of it, I was the one who asked Jang Deuksu and Hong Sin to be her foster parents. It meant I was the first to place a burden on the two of them. As such, even if the other three gave up on being masters, I could not.

I accepted reality and then looked at Yorani.

“……With so many masters, something should come of it.”

It was not a particularly welcome remark. Normally, I should have asked Yorani why she wanted to learn martial arts, but I could not bring myself to do so. It would mean reopening an old wound.

So I asked simply.

“Yorani, are you going to learn martial arts from your masters?”

“Yes.”

“It will be hard. It is no easy thing. There will be many times when you feel resentful.”

Yorani answered concisely.

“I can do it.”

I looked at the Lust Demon, the Ear Demon, and the Sword Demon in turn. We did not converse until we had finished our meal. Only after Yorani had finished eating as well did Deuksu entrust Yorani to Hong Sin.

In the end, the men remained at the table…….

Jang Deuksu opened his mouth again.

“Is Yorani a burden?”

I nodded.

“She is a burden.”

Jang Deuksu asked the Sword Demon, the Lust Demon, and the Ear Demon again.

“Is it the same for the three of you?”

“More or less.”

“She is indeed a burden.”

The Lust Demon simply nodded.

Jang Deuksu said.

“I feel burdened too. Playing father was never in my fate. Jaha asked me to, so I said I would, but every day weighs on me.”

“…….”

Jang Deuksu looked around at us and continued.

“Do you think it’s only me? Fathers in ordinary families must all feel much the same. Please teach Yoran some martial arts.”

The Sword Demon, who had been silent, asked Jang Deuksu.

“Is there another reason?”

“There is, but must I really say it?”

“I would like to hear it.”

Jang Deuksu stared blankly at the food he had prepared since dawn, then spoke to us.

“When I look at the four of you, I can see that you live each day prepared to die. Since you have given yourselves to the martial world, it is not something I cannot understand. But how can a person live thinking only of death? There is no need to go that far. Losing or dying in a fight is a result, so it cannot be helped, but there is no need to live a life where you recall death every time even in ordinary daily life. Was that too presumptuous of me?”

I only shook my head.

Jang Deuksu said.

“Please take good care of Yoran. The boy seems to be thinking of death far too early. Do you think he follows you and calls you masters for no reason? Stop thinking about fighting recklessly and dying young. Think of your disciple, run away if you must, and consider living thin and long… That is my wish.”

Jang Deuksu pointed to the table and spoke to us, who remained silent.

“I’ll clean up, so masters, please go rest.”

We all rose awkwardly at the same time and left a word each.

“I ate well.”

“It was a good meal.”

“You worked hard making it.”

Jang Deuksu answered as he cleared the bowls.

“Not at all… I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

I couldn’t think of anything in particular to say, so I went down the stairs. The four of us were descending the stairs as if we had all been scolded by Jang Deuksu at once, when another crash sounded from above and Yoran’s voice rang out.

“I’ll help too. I’ll clean up.”

I confirmed in real time that this thing called pressure had grown from twofold to threefold.

We sat side by side in front of the inn again and listened to one another sigh. After a while, the Lust Demon muttered in a small voice.

“Still, I’m glad I’m the eldest senior brother.”

“You stupid bastard.”

“Must be nice, you bastard.”

“Pathetic fool.”

We stared ahead with blank expressions, then sighed at the same time. In order to cheer the three of them on, I said this.

“About Moyong Baek.”

“…….”

“I should tell him to bring back some rare elixir that’s fine for a child to eat, helps well with internal energy cultivation, works quickly, and has few side effects. As for internal energy, the more the better. That way his martial arts achievement will be faster too.”

Beside me, the Ghost Demon nodded.

“That’s a good idea.”

The Lust Demon also acknowledged it.

“Right. We can’t be the only ones suffering.”

Strangely enough, only then did my heart begin to feel a little lighter. As for why, that was frankly none of my concern.