Chapter 67. Just Stuff Your Face.

I stared blankly at the Flash Dagger embedded in the table.

“When I was young, there was an interesting older guy in the neighborhood. You know the type. The cheerful, funny guy every neighborhood has, the one who was good to me too. He had a manly personality as well.”

“…….”

“In our neighborhood, a life-and-death duel went like this. Each person stuck a dagger into the table, then first tried to settle things through conversation. If that didn’t work, each would grab his dagger and stab the other. It was called a life-and-death duel, but people didn’t die every time. Still, one or two fingers were always cut off. To my young eyes, it was a fairly bloody fight. The people of my hometown didn’t know how to back down easily.”

I looked at Yu Sacheong.

“One day, that older guy was lying dead on the table. It wasn’t all that surprising. My grandfather cleared away the body, and I brought a rag and wiped down the table. But the rag kept catching on the surface. When I looked closer, there were dozens of dagger marks on the table. I thought to myself, at least the guy I knew hadn’t died after fighting pitifully. I wiped that table at least once a day, and each time, I wondered how I was supposed to deal with what I felt.”

“…….”

“Because the blade marks made the table hard to clean every time.”

“…….”

“I suddenly can’t remember his name. He was an orphan too, so there’s no way to find out. In any case, some time passed, but the bastard who killed that neighborhood brother of mine died by my hand in the same manner.”

I pulled out the Flash Dagger.

“In the end, after going round and round, he died to me.”

Bound up, Yu Sacheong’s entire body shook. A grown man, even shedding tears.

Yu Sacheong finally opened his mouth.

“P-please spare me!”

“Your mute acupoint’s been released?”

“Please spare me. I’ll tell you everything I know. I’ll cooperate unconditionally.”

“I don’t know what you mean to tell me, but I’m not interested.”

I extended the Flash Dagger and cut Yu Sacheong’s bindings. The thick rope sliced apart as easily as if I had put a knife to a dumpling.

I grabbed Yu Sacheong’s arm and set it on the table.

“Only your mute acupoint has been released. If you don’t keep your head from now on, you’ll suffer qi deviation. Steady your breathing.”

I gripped his hand tightly and said,

“And why would I kill you?”

I unleashed the Great Art of Absorbing Stars.

“Ghh…… hkk…….”

Yu Sacheong’s pure internal energy passed through the center of my palm and entered my body. I paused the Great Art of Absorbing Stars for a moment, then dispatched a strand of true qi, sending a scout into Yu Sacheong’s body. After that, I resumed the Great Art of Absorbing Stars. A short while later, even the true qi that had gone out to scout returned to my body.

Before I knew it, tears, snot, and saliva were mixed together on Yu Sacheong’s face.

I examined Yu Sacheong’s condition, then stopped the Great Art of Absorbing Stars and steadied my breathing.

I was also in need of immediate qi circulation and breath regulation.

The extremely yang true qi bubbling in my dantian rose all the way to the crown of my head, making my face burn, and I felt as though a reddish light had seeped into my vision as well.

I turned Yu Sacheong’s palm over, then drove the Flash Dagger into the back of his hand.

With a thunk, the Flash Dagger pierced through the back of his hand and embedded itself in the table. As Yu Sacheong’s scream stretched out long, I said,

“Noisy. If that Dokgo Saeng from earlier wakes up, he’ll come here and twist your neck several times. Wouldn’t it be better to endure pain than die?”

“Ghhup…….”

I glared at Yu Sacheong from the corner of my eye, then sat cross-legged on the chair and began qi circulation and breath regulation.

“If you’re confident, pull it out and attack me. That’s how life-and-death duels are done in my neighborhood.”

With Yu Sacheong beside me, I drew upon the power of Heavenly Jade and began circulating my qi. Though it had been a short period of time, I had burned quite a large amount of true qi and steadily accumulated it as internal energy. Even so, it felt strange that the Golden Turtle Soaring Art was still lingering at the Flame Realm. It was certainly a martial art in which conquering each realm became truly difficult from the middle stages onward.

Even now, if I forced it, I could break through the Flame Realm.

However, because the comprehensive principles of martial learning contained within the Golden Turtle Soaring Art did not want that, I did not hurry.

After calmly completing one heavenly circuit, I opened my eyes. Yu Sacheong had blocked the circulation in his arm in his own way to stop the bleeding.

Yu Sacheong said with a pale face,

“……I stopped the bleeding for the moment.”

It seemed Yu Sacheong had finally come to his senses a little. Words like please spare me or I’ll tell you everything I know did not work on me.

I looked at Yu Sacheong and replied briefly.

“Well done.”

“Yes.”

When I pulled out the Flash Dagger, Yu Sacheong quickly tore off a piece of his collar with one hand and his mouth, then swiftly wrapped the back of his hand.

I poured liquor into an empty cup and held it out to Yu Sacheong.

Only then did Yu Sacheong drink a cup of liquor with his uninjured hand. He gulped it down in a memorable way, as if he were drinking water for the first time in ages in the desert. After drinking the cup, Yu Sacheong opened his mouth with bloodshot eyes.

“Thank you.”

I drank as well and said,

“The reason the master of Muak Sect and Lady Cheolseom came to me and bowed their heads was because their residences are fixed. They knew I could slaughter Muak Sect or go to Yuhwagok and set it on fire, so they put aside their pride and came to apologize. The two of them didn’t apologize to me because they had less pride than you. They felt responsibility because they had disciples to protect and families to feed.”

I pointed at Yu Sacheong and continued,

“But I don’t particularly care about your circumstances. You’re the owner of a gambling den, aren’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Your path to survival.”

“Please tell me.”

“If you are of no help in killing Old Lord Iryong and Master Su from now on, there is no reason to keep you alive. The two of them did attack me first, but they were bastards who would have interfered with my path anyway. That is why the Great Rakshasa died, and that is why the lord of Heukseon Fort died too. Like the neighborhood brother who died by the blade, I am an orphan, so unlike Yuhwagok or Muak Sect, I have nothing I need to protect. The subordinates gathered here? The Great Rakshasa’s disciple, the dregs of Heukseon Fort, and the underlings of men I killed are all mixed together. Right now, you don’t even have the right to become my subordinate, and your chances of surviving by my hand are low. Your life depends solely on how we deal with Old Lord Iryong and Master Su. So how will you persuade me?”

Yu Sacheong, looking as if he might faint at any moment, desperately searched for an answer. Then, as if his mind had snapped for an instant, he slammed his head onto the table.

Thud!

I let out a sigh.

“Tsk.”

Why did the number of bastards who fainted while talking to me keep increasing?

‘Should I get counseling from Master Moyong…….’

At that moment, Dokgo Saeng walked out from inside and asked me,

“Did you have a talk?”

“He fainted in the middle of it.”

Dokgo Saeng placed his hand on the nape of Yu Sacheong’s neck.

“He’s still breathing.”

Dokgo Saeng glared at me and said,

“Get some sleep. Your eyes are red. Oddly purple, actually.”

Only then did I rise from my seat.

“I’m going to sleep.”

* * *

At my subordinates’ call to eat, I washed my face in a hurry and headed back out to the main hall. Though the maids were absent, the table was already laden with the food my men had hastily laid out.

I scratched my head, sat down, and ate.

One by one, the others returned to the seats they had occupied yesterday and began eating. Sogunpyeong asked between bites,

“Shall we strike Iryong Nogun first? Or should we hit Teacher Su first?”

I replied while chewing on the greens.

“I don’t know.”

Baek In asked,

“Where did Yu Sacheong go?”

“Dunno. Just eat your food.”

I am a man who doesn’t know much. While we were eating, the doors to the main hall opened, and Dokgo Saeng and Yu Sacheong walked in together.

The eyes of the officers and martial brothers fixed on the two of them.

Dokgo Saeng came forward first, pulled out a chair, and said to the staggering Yu Sacheong,

“Sit.”

Yu Sacheong bowed and sat down.

“Thank you.”

Everyone shook their heads as they ate.

Yu Sacheong’s face had been a bloody mess but was now washed clean. Dokgo Saeng stroked his back and said,

“Let’s eat. You eat plenty too.”

“Yes.”

Just how badly had he beaten him to break his spirit so completely? It felt like a miracle that Yu Sacheong was still alive.

I needled Dokgo Saeng as I ate.

“How can a person be so cruel?”

Dokgo Saeng replied,

“Hey, spare me those boring jokes. They’re not funny at all.”

Dokgo Saeng explained Yu Sacheong’s condition to the others.

“This bastard’s hand was stabbed by our Chief with a blade. From what I heard, his internal energy was stolen too. And he was so terrified of our Chief that even holding a conversation with him was extremely difficult for me. I only smacked him across the face a few times. Yu Sacheong, am I wrong?”

Yu Sacheong replied as he ate,

“You are correct.”

Dokgo Saeng uttered a peculiar remark to those present.

“The Chief has too much on his plate. I’ll take this brat off his hands now. All of you, bear with it.”

Whether it was because Dokgo Saeng truly had such a vile temper, no one answered him. Then, Dokgo Saeng suddenly stroked Yu Sacheong’s back again.

“Eat plenty.”

“Yes.”

For a moment, goosebumps ran down my spine too.

Since Dokgo Saeng kept speaking to me casually, Cha Seongtae cut in.

“Dokgo Saeng, you’ve been through a lot.”

“……!”

In that instant, the eyes of everyone present shifted back and forth between Cha Seongtae and Dokgo Saeng.

Dokgo Saeng replied with an indifferent expression.

“Chief Steward Cha, you’ve been through a lot too, doing nothing but wasting rice.”

At Dokgo Saeng’s words, everyone snickered, and Cha Seongtae’s face flushed red again. While everyone ate without much comment, Yu Sacheong opened his mouth.

“Chief.”

“What.”

“If you permit me, I shall bring troops and take the vanguard……. I will go and return with Dokgo Saeng.”

I glared at Yu Sacheong and replied,

“Stuff your face with rice.”

“Yes.”

When we were almost done eating, I spoke to Sogunpyeong.

“Since we’ve filled our stomachs, let’s have some daytime drinking.”

Sogunpyeong replied with a grin,

“Shall we?”

I was currently the leader of the most pathetic bastards in the world. No plan, no direction. In my head, there was nothing but a broad strategy and the belief that those who had to die would die by my hand.

While drinking, Baek Yu spoke to me.

“Eldest Martial Brother, I will perform a fan dance.”

“Go ahead.”

The drunk Baek Yu performed the fan dance; Dokgo Saeng began picking on Yu Sacheong again; and Cha Seongtae occasionally glared at Dokgo Saeng with bleary eyes as he drank.

Amidst all this, Hong Sin sang while Baek Yu danced.

Baek In continued drinking with his usual composed demeanor.

Cheongjin watched these idiots with a disgruntled expression.

It was utter chaos.

As the alcohol gradually went to my head, I looked at my subordinates and clicked my tongue.

“Ah, you pathetic bastards.”

What on earth was Dokgo Saeng saying to needle Yu Sacheong like that? Yu Sacheong, who had been listening silently, was eventually shedding streams of tears.

Since I was currently waiting for the enemy’s forces to weaken on their own, there was nothing in particular I needed to do. In the end, amidst this chaos, I once again crossed my legs on the chair and immersed myself in meditation.

Hong Sin’s singing voice subsided.

Dokgo Saeng’s words and Yu Sacheong’s sobs disappeared too.

“…….”

Half-asleep and half-awake, the alcohol and the effects of meditation intermingled…….

Before I knew it, I was sitting in the old Jaha Guesthouse.

.

.

.

“Jaha, give me a bowl of noodles.”

A local hyung, dressed in spotless white garments from head to toe, entered the guesthouse and took a seat. I grabbed a clean cloth and went to wipe the table where he sat. Perhaps because the table was already clean, it wiped clean easily.

“Hyung, where are you going? You’re dressed so neatly.”

While the local hyung I hadn’t seen in a long time ate his noodles in silence, I sat across from him. After draining even the broth clean, he set down the bowl and asked me,

“You don’t remember my name? That stings.”

“What was your name again?”

My hyung told me his name, but I answered vaguely even though I couldn’t recall it.

“Ah, right. Now I remember.”

“That was a good meal.”

As my hyung paid and stood up, I asked,

“Where are you going all dressed up? Going to meet a girl?”

My hyung shook his head and smiled brightly.

“A girl? No, it’s time for a fresh start.”

“So you’re done fighting with blades? You need to get revenge on Jo Igyeol.”

“He’s already dead, so what revenge? Anyway, thank you. I’m off.”

I held my hyung’s gaze for a long moment, then grinned.

“Good luck with your fresh start.”

In front of the Jaha Guesthouse, my hyung grinned.

“Yeah.”

.

.

.

As soon as I opened my eyes again, I let out a long, trembling breath.

It had been a strange dream, but I didn’t think too much of it.

I simply figured that the older guy from the neighborhood had made a fresh start.

As I looked at my subordinates, one corner of my mouth curled upward.