Episode 380. Murderous Intent Cannot Be Forgiven.
Sitting on the platform, I poured a drink for Eldest Brother and spoke.
“Is it going to rain?”
Eldest Brother accepted the drink, then gazed at the sky.
“……It’s just an overcast day.”
This was the entirety of the conversation exchanged between Eldest Brother and me for nearly two hours.
When even the laborers who had procured food and alcohol from Baek’eungji left, the Jahagak Inn became truly desolate. All that protected us were the temporary walls erected around the perimeter to continue construction, the Jahagak Inn where work had stopped, and the temporary lodgings the laborers had built.
The outside was no different.
The remains of the barracks I had burned looked as though a war had ended there.
It was hardly a place fit for people to live.
But why was my heart so at peace?
It was likely because I was drinking with a stalwart man like Eldest Brother. Thanks to the alcohol, even the thoughts drifting through my mind were aimless.
Eldest Brother and I were men who would remain strong even if our martial arts disappeared.
Because we were very much alike in that neither of us were the type to voice complaints or grievances.
Whether this place was a comfortable home or a ruin ravaged by war, it made little difference.
We drank, whittled wooden swords, and when sleep came, we simply lay down on the platform to rest our eyes.
But we took turns resting.
Suddenly, flags planted nearby flapped fiercely in a gust of wind. I looked at the flags of the Martial Alliance and the Jecheon Alliance, then turned my gaze to the entrance leading into the Jahagak Inn construction site.
At first, one person arrived, followed by three or four more, and with additional scoundrels joining them, a total of six lined up at the wide entrance.
Eldest Brother and I sat on the platform and looked at the guests.
“……Our first guests.”
If they were truly guests, Eldest Brother would have to play the innkeeper, and I would have to play the waiter once again.
“Damn it all.”
I was the man who had no complaints yet was already grumbling again.
One among the six opened his mouth.
“……Are you open for business?”
Laughter burst out at the man’s words. Of course, there were also those among them who did not laugh at all, like Eldest Brother. Only then did I notice that one of the six was a woman, and the moment I realized it, I knew who they were.
Eldest Brother asked me.
“Do you know them?”
Of course, I had known them in my previous life, so there was no reason to pretend ignorance now.
“They have a collective moniker, but I forgot. Something like the Yunnan Seven Killers, the butchers-for-hire.”
“The Yunnan Seven Killers. I’ve heard of them.”
I nodded.
“If even Eldest Brother has heard of them, they’ve made it big. These bastards fear Alliance Chief Im, so they don’t operate within the Martial Alliance’s sphere of influence. Likewise, they fear Alliance Chief Ju, so they don’t operate within the Jecheon Alliance’s territory either. They roam Sichuan, Yunnan, and Guizhou—the two areas excluded—killing people for money, sometimes even wiping out an entire sect. For them to appear here……money truly is a terrifying thing.”
I pointed at the six of them with my finger.
“These bastards probably don’t even know how much money the head of the Seven Killers makes. Now some greedy old bastard slightly stronger than them will appear, putting on airs.”
“…….”
The moment my words ended, the leader of the Yunnan Seven Killers, Manbak Magun, appeared. He was an old man with a balding, patchy head. In the Martial Alliance’s terms, he was a powerhouse counted among the Hundred Great Masters of the Rivers and Lakes, which naturally made him a formidable expert that small and medium sects could hardly handle.
Manbak Magun entered the grounds of the Jahagak Inn without even asking for my permission.
At that, the Six Killers followed as well.
With Eldest Brother sitting right beside me, I couldn’t fathom what gave them such confidence.
Manbak Magun went to the platform opposite ours—the one where laborers often rested—and sat down, then looked at Eldest Brother and me. The remaining Six Killers stood around Manbak Magun and stared at us. Watching them like this, it was easy to see they were a group divided by rank.
Manbak Magun spoke.
“Gate Lord, Sword Demon. I am called Manbak Magun in Yunnan. I have come because I have something to say—will you hear me out?”
“…….”
Eldest Brother and I did not bother to answer.
Manbak Magun’s words continued.
“Please listen even if you have no interest. A few years ago, my men and I attacked a small sect called Cheongsong Gate. I did not know it at the time, but recently a man came and told me that Cheongsong Gate was an Outer Hall that had been paying tribute to the Divine Cult. Lately, a new overseer took charge of the Outer Hall, found us, and delivered an order. He said if we bring even one of the Radiant Sword or the One-Kill Sword, they would forgive our past sins and grant a great reward.”
The old man seemed to be talking too much by himself, so I gave him a reply.
“And if we refuse?”
“He said if we refuse, he would capture all of the Yunnan Seven Killers and have us hanged. We had no choice. If we are lucky enough to obtain even one sword, we live; if not, it is our fate to fight the Divine Cult. I painstakingly converted all the wealth I had accumulated over the years into notes to prepare. Could we not buy even one sword from you for a hefty sum?”
I nodded.
“So you found it difficult to choose between fighting me or fighting the Demonic Cult, and came here to size us up first?”
Manbak Magun nodded.
“To be honest, yes.”
I gave him a simple answer.
“Why don’t you just flee?”
Manbak Magun tilted his head.
“Can one flee from the Divine Cult? No one actually knows who the cultists are or how far they have spread. How were we supposed to know that a sect bearing the name Cheongsong Gate was paying tribute to the cult?”
“Then why the hell did you attack a sect minding its own business? Coming here to discuss something that happened because of money—you seven can take responsibility for it yourselves.”
From the beginning, I’d had no intention of letting them leave peacefully. However, I had yet to decide just how I would make them suffer.
Manbak Magun looked at me.
“……Gate Lord, you are the strange one. The Divine Cult knows your location. You do not flee, and what are just two men doing? Ah, or is it not two?”
Manbak Magun looked at the flags fluttering above the Jahagak Inn.
“It seems you do have reinforcements.”
Eldest Brother suddenly yawned in an uncharacteristic manner, then lay crookedly on the platform and closed his eyes.
It was less that he was sleeping and more an attitude of finding Manbak Magun a nuisance. I had no intention of forgiving them, but I respected Eldest Brother’s will.
In that case, as the waiter, I had no choice but to kick them out for now……
“I can’t simply hand over a sword to you out of the blue. Leave. I understand that you fear the Divine Cult. But dying by my hand is no different. Running as far away as possible is the only way you can live long. Since Eldest Brother is sleeping, see yourselves out quietly.”
The man beside Manbak Magun spoke.
“Boss, must we really do this?”
Manbak Magun answered, raising his hand slightly.
“Quiet. Let’s go.”
Eldest Brother, who had been lying crookedly with his arms crossed, opened his mouth.
“……Who said I would let you go?”
“Hm.”
The Seven Killers of Yunnan, who had been moving as a group, stopped at the same time.
Manbak Demon Lord opened his mouth.
“I came to explain the circumstances. After hearing the sect leader’s words, I was simply going to leave. Is there a problem with that?”
Eldest Brother answered with his eyes closed.
“……You came harboring killing intent, so I cannot forgive you. If Third and I had been weak, that killing intent would have been put into action. You merely refrained from acting after confirming us with your own eyes. I cannot forgive opportunists.”
When the six killers all grabbed their weapons at once, Manbak Demon Lord narrowed his brow and extended a hand, restraining his younger brothers’ actions.
Manbak Demon Lord asked Eldest Brother.
“Then what would you have us do?”
Eldest Brother said,
“Sweep the yard and wipe down the platforms.”
“And after that?”
“The materials the laborers left behind are still there. Until I tell you to stop, you will continue the construction of the inn. Move stones, build the walls, make tables and set them in place—everything the laborers were supposed to do, you will do.”
The man among Manbak Demon Lord’s younger brothers who had the most displeased expression replied,
“And if we refuse?”
“Then I have no choice but to kill you. Killing intent is not something only you possess.”
I watched Eldest Brother and the Seven Killers of Yunnan with my arms crossed. Suddenly, a strange thought occurred to me, and I asked Eldest Brother.
“Eldest Brother.”
“What?”
“Were you perhaps planning to make them cook……”
Eldest Brother did not answer, his eyes still closed. Through his silence, I could understand what he meant.
I looked at the Seven Killers of Yunnan and blinked.
“Hmm.”
“…….”
“In any case, do as Eldest Brother says.”
Manbak Demon Lord asked me,
“What did you mean by cooking?”
“Shut up.”
As if holding another strategy meeting all of a sudden, the Seven Killers of Yunnan returned to the wooden platform. Amusingly, I could hear their whispers much better than before. Some were still saying they should just fight, while their eldest, Manbak Demon Lord, was cursing up a storm and berating his younger brothers. Seeing them like this, it was absurd to think that such pathetic fellows had been going around tormenting small sects.
Still, with those fools coming as guests, Zaha Inn had turned into something more like a proper inn.
An inn was originally that kind of place.
In any case, since I was playing the role of a waiter, I borrowed Eldest Brother’s authority.
“Hey, stop having your bullshit meeting.”
“…….”
“Eldest Brother is a man who keeps his word. If he said he’ll kill you, then you’ll die. Start by cleaning.”
When the meeting ended, Manbak Demon Lord remained seated alone on the platform. The other six killers looked around with expressions as if they were about to die, then began cleaning.
I crossed through the center and approached Manbak Demon Lord. As I walked, one of the nearby six killers flinched in surprise and put distance between us.
I looked Manbak Demon Lord up and down, then sat beside him.
From here, I could see Eldest Brother lying with his back turned. I scratched my chin a little, then asked Manbak Demon Lord,
“How old are you?”
Manbak Demon Lord answered,
“Fifty-four this year.”
“Fifty-four. Younger than you look. By the way……”
As I spoke, I met Manbak Demon Lord’s eyes.
“……Why are you resting?”
Manbak Demon Lord stared blankly at me. Thinking his ears might be bad, I said it again.
“I asked why you’re resting. If we kill you first, it’ll be easier to put the six killers to work.”
Manbak Demon Lord avoided my gaze and looked around the inside of Zaha Inn before answering.
“……I was looking for what work needed to be done.”
I did not miss the slight tremble in Eldest Brother’s shoulder as he lay there. Of course. There was no avoiding my eyes. It seemed he was laughing. In any case, if Eldest Brother laughed, that was good enough.
I asked Manbak Demon Lord,
“Did you find it?”
Manbak Demon Lord rose with his hands clasped behind his back and looked at the Zaha Inn under construction. Suddenly, he shot upward and adjusted the position of the Zaha Inn signboard. It had been slightly tilted, and after setting it straight, he came back down. His lightness skill was quite good. He pretended to look around for anything else that needed doing, then turned his head and met my eyes.
“…….”
I nodded.
“Well done.”
It seemed he would rather die than clean. After that, Manbak Demon Lord pointed here and there, ordering the six killers around. Cleaning, organizing materials, lining up the platforms, tidying the tents—it was all done in no time. While they had been working for quite a while, Manbak Demon Lord said to his younger brothers,
“……We will now take a brief rest.”
The six killers came to the platform, sat down with their backsides planted, sighed, and then glared at Manbak Demon Lord, who was sitting alone on a nearby platform.
I gave Manbak Demon Lord an order.
“There are ingredients behind the inn. One of you prepare the meal.”
As soon as my order fell, Manbak Demon Lord once again gave an order to one of them with a jerk of his chin.
“Prepare it.”
“Yes.”
With Eldest Brother’s help, I was able to continue the construction of Zaha Inn. I warned the fellow who was going to prepare the meal.
“Don’t put poison in it. You shouldn’t play around with food. Once it’s made, Manbak Demon Lord will taste it first…… Answer me.”
“Understood.”
In that instant, my chest felt clear, as if a bout of indigestion that had been sitting inside me had finally gone down. In any case, Eldest Brother, who was not working, had taken on the role of owner. Under him was me, the head waiter, and directly beneath me was Manbak Demon Lord the waiter.
Since there was a possibility that Manbak Demon Lord and the six killers, enraged by the repeated menial tasks, might rebel, I drew my wooden sword and set about establishing discipline.
It had been a long time since I had drawn the wooden sword.
I walked to the entrance of Zaha Inn and, gripping the sword, practiced my sword art. Since my training in form was lacking, I deliberately carried out the movements slowly. I swung the sword while mainly recalling Im Sobaek’s movements. The sword art I had displayed thus far had no fixed path and was as free as fluttering plum blossoms, so during training, at least, I insisted on simple paths.
A downward strike, a slash, and a thrust were enough.
I hoped that the disorderly sword arts I had displayed until now would gather and coalesce into these three movements. Even without looking, I knew the Seven Killers of Yunnan were stealing glances at me, trying to gauge my martial prowess.
But anyone could look at these three movements.
Because the meaning contained within them was known only to me.
Instead, for the sake of establishing discipline, I performed the movements even more slowly, and at some point wrapped the Flame Realm around the blade. The blade of the wooden sword was dyed crimson by the manifested Flame Realm.
“…….”
Eldest Brother was still lying down.
The Seven Killers of Yunnan were looking at me.
I trained my sword art in the state of having become the gatekeeper of Zaha Inn. Training was repetition. The flames coiled around the blade scattered from time to time like red flower petals.