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Chapter 79: Is There Anyone Who Stops at Nothing in a Fight?
Yeon Jeokha watched the wanderers as they moved the food, sitting by the window.
"Good job. Now go away."
"Ah, yes..."
Chu Gong, the Red Blood Swordsman, forced an awkward smile. He now realized that it wasn’t just about distributing the food but about changing locations. However, he felt relieved that it ended like this. But that was just the beginning.
Just as they settled into their new place, Yeon Jeokha called out to him.
"Hey!"
Chu Gong quickly approached the window.
"Call the waiter."
"Yes."
Chu Gong walked towards the waiter, who had been observing them from earlier, and approached hastily.
"Bring us more tea."
"Yes, customer."
The waiter took the empty teapot and returned to the kitchen.
Chu Gong, who stood awkwardly, returned to his seat when Yeon Jeokha didn’t say anything else.
After that, Yeon Jeokha repeatedly called Chu Gong for more vegetables, more liquor, to heat the soup, etc. Because of this, Chu Gong could barely tell whether the food was going into his mouth or his nose. In the end, Yeon Jeokha kept him standing next to him, asking questions.
With Chu Gong stuck there, the other five wanderers couldn’t leave after finishing their meal.
As the sun set, painting the sky in colors, Yeon Jeokha looked out the window and asked:
"Are you guys heading somewhere as a group?"
"Yes, there’s a lot of work in Namyang."
"What kind of work?"
"They say the Namyang Chamber of Commerce is recruiting wanderers."
"Why? Tell me everything at once, don’t make me ask multiple times."
"Ah, it seems there’s going to be a fight between the Namyang Chamber of Commerce and the Cheongun Military Academy. The Namyang Chamber says the academy is provoking them by changing the guards. The academy says their disciples were humiliated at the chamber... But it doesn’t matter who’s at fault."
"What does the Cheongun Military Academy have to do with the guards of the Namyang Chamber?"
"Well, the Namyang Chamber used to hire guards from the Cheongun Military Academy, but now they’ve replaced them with Hongbang. It seems there were problems during the process."
"Ah, I see. So, which side are you supporting?"
"They say there are more experts at the Namyang Chamber... So we’re heading there."
He was heading to the Namyang Chamber because the famous swordsman of the Mount Hua Sect, Lee Muryang, was there.
"Don’t righteous people go to the Cheongun Military Academy?"
"No, we made a big mistake before. Please forgive us."
"So, how much are they paying you?"
"I heard it’s a tael of silver for ten days."
"That’s quite a lot. Then why did you say it’s hard to earn enough to buy a bun?"
"It was just a random phrase. Really."
"Ah, you just wanted to provoke."
"Yes..."
"Well, since we’re here, have a drink."
Yeon Jeokha filled an empty cup with rice liquor. Chu Gong, with a grateful expression, accepted the cup respectfully.
After Chu Gong drank, Yeon Jeokha refilled his cup with rice liquor.
"Hey! You guys come and have a drink too."
The other five wanderers timidly approached and each took a cup.
"Personally, I like the phrase ‘the whole world is a brotherhood’. What do you wanderers think?"
"Yes, that’s right. The whole world is a brotherhood."
"Yes, we agree."
Yeon Jeokha nodded with satisfaction.
"Then, we’re not strangers. Let’s eat and drink together. Right?"
"Of course."
Chu Gong nodded exaggeratedly, though it seemed a bit strange to him.
They had eaten separately, but what did that matter?
Now was the time to please this strange person.
"Go back and finish eating. We’re leaving."
"Yes, thank you."
"Don’t mention it. Anyway, it was a good lunch. See you next time."
"What?"
Chu Gong instinctively raised his voice upon hearing the farewell.
"What? Do you invite us to eat and expect us to pay? Old Shim and I are not fools. I’m starting to feel bad."
"No, no. Of course, we will pay. I was surprised you said ‘see you next time’."
Chu Gong, quick-witted, controlled the situation.
"I didn’t mean we should meet on a fixed date. Just that we might see each other again. Or do you want us to go to Namyang together? We also have to pass through there."
"No, we plan to travel at night. Actually, we were thinking of camping tonight."
"You are diligent people. To earn money, you have to be like that. I understand. See you then. We plan to stay here tonight. Hey! Owner!"
At Yeon Jeokha’s call, the owner came running.
"This wanderer, what’s your name?"
Yeon Jeokha looked at Chu Gong.
"Chu Gong."
"Good name. Chu Gong will handle the bill. Right, Brother Chu?"
"Yes, that’s right."
Chu Gong nodded, and Yeon Jeokha addressed the owner.
"We will stay here tonight. If Brother Chu doesn’t pay, let us know. Old Shim is an expert in these matters."
"Yes, yes."
The owner nodded, looking nervously at Chu Gong and Shim Yanggak.
Shim Yanggak shot a threatening look at Chu Gong.
"If you don’t want to see me again, pay properly."
Chu Gong, frightened by Yeon Jeokha’s murderous glare, nodded vigorously.
"Yes, yes, I will do it properly."
Only then did Yeon Jeokha and Shim Yanggak go up to the second floor, followed by the owner.
Chu Gong collapsed in his seat upon returning to the other wanderers.
One of the five wanderers, the Wind Swordsman, Dong Inbae, asked in a low voice.
"Chu, are you really going to pay for what they ate?"
"Do you say that after seeing the skills of that old man? Let’s consider it bad luck and split the cost among us."
"But damn, we only ate dumplings and noodles. Look at their food. If we add the wine, it could cost at least a silver coin."
"They know our names and even know we’re going to Namyang. Do you suggest we escape from here? Do you really want to give up the job in Namyang for a silver coin?"
Dong Inbae closed his eyes tightly. Chu was right; they couldn’t give up the job opportunity in Namyang for a single silver coin. For wanderers with no future, Namyang was the land of opportunities.
Another wanderer sighed deeply and said.
"Ah! Let’s all contribute. In Namyang, after ten days of work, we will earn a silver coin. What does it matter to pay a little more? Let’s consider it bad luck cleaning."
The other wanderers nodded.
After all, considering that their bodies were healthy, a few more coins weren’t a big price to pay.
After a while, while chewing on cold dumplings, Dong Inbae asked.
"Why did you say we would camp?"
"I wanted to avoid traveling with them. I’d rather sleep outdoors and stay away from them. I don’t want to see them ever again. Ugh..."
Chu Gong shuddered.
The other wanderers nodded in agreement.
The next morning, Yeon Jeokha and Shim Yanggak had a late breakfast and left the inn.
Near Namyang, there were many wanderers among the passersby.
Walking down the main road, Yeon Jeokha spoke.
"I think we’ve encountered the Namyang Chamber of Commerce before? Haven’t we?"
"I’m not sure because it happened before I entered the mountains. Isn’t the Great Daeju a disciple of the Mount Hua Sect, known as the Sky Shaker Swordsman, Lee Muryong?"
"Yes, now I remember. The Sky Shaker Swordsman. I almost cut off both his arms by mistake. Back then, I had no control over my strength."
"Did that happen? Wow, he was lucky."
"But it seems he kept his promise. He didn’t attack our camp again."
"Did he have a difficult experience with you?"
"I’m not that scary."
At those words, Shim Yanggak could only laugh softly.
Yeon Jeokha wasn’t a scary person, but he wasn’t calm either. If he had been calm, the bandits of the Five Peaks Mountain wouldn’t have lived quietly under his control.
"Why are you laughing? Are you saying I’m wrong?"
"No, not at all. It’s just that, when a fight starts, you don’t stop at anything."
"Is there anyone who stops at nothing in a fight?"
"Well, many people worry about the consequences and end the fight properly."
"How can you worry about the consequences during a fight? That’s something you should do before or after fighting. Big Brother said that if you think about useless things during a fight, you’ll be killed with a sword."
"Well, that makes sense."
Shim Yanggak couldn’t help but laugh inwardly. That only applied to low-level fighters like Pung Yeoncho. Once you reach Yeon Jeokha’s level, there’s no need to fight uncontrollably.
Masters are praised for keeping things under control.
Of course, in a fair fight, there’s no proper control.
"But why did the Namyang Chamber of Commerce suddenly change guards? Why did they fight with the Cheongun Military Academy?"
"I have no idea. It’s not our business whether it’s a Chamber of Commerce or a Military Academy, right?"
Yeon Jeokha was someone who would watch a fight without getting involved if it didn’t affect him.
Interestingly, that was similar to Shim Yanggak’s usual attitude.
Shim Yanggak, completely satisfied with the explanation, no longer had any curiosity.
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From Bangseong to Namyang, it would normally take a day, but Yeon Jeokha and Shim Yanggak took two days.
Since they were not in a hurry, they walked slowly, delaying.
They arrived in Namyang around noon and looked for a restaurant to eat.
Shim Yanggak pointed to a restaurant called Manggamhong, full of people.
"Young Master, shall we go there? It seems they cook well because it’s full of customers."
"I’m not sure if there will be space."
Despite his doubts, Yeon Jeokha headed there.
When he opened the restaurant door, a delicious aroma filled his nose, surpassing the restaurants in Bangseong.
While the two looked for a place, a young waiter approached.
"Hehe, there are no seats now, but if you wait a bit, there will be soon."
Yeon Jeokha, undecided about whether to stay or leave, leaned against the counter, feeling lazy. The waiter, who had been watching the customers, hurriedly went back and forth between the tables.
Shim Yanggak, as if he were a bodyguard, stood rigidly next to Yeon Jeokha, scanning the area.
Since a fight between the Namyang Chamber of Commerce and the Cheongun Military Academy was imminent, most of the customers were martial artists.
In the past, he would have taken any available seat.
However, after experiencing life as a disabled person, he no longer had the desire to do so.
Also, he didn’t dare to do so in front of Yeon Jeokha.
Waiting idly, they inevitably began to hear the customers’ conversations.
The main topic was, of course, the fight between the Chamber of Commerce and the Military Academy.
Through the conversation of two nearby wanderers, Yeon Jeokha and Shim Yanggak learned many things.
The two wanderers, who came from Luoyang, were busier chatting than eating.
The man with a red dot on his forehead complained.
"... Anyway, all this fuss is because of the Yoomyung Cult."
The man with a thick beard responded calmly.
"Still, thanks to them, wanderers like us have opportunities. The Seven Great Sects won’t like it, but we should be grateful."
Unlike the man with the red dot, the man with a thick beard didn’t seem to resent the Yoomyung Cult.
"But, thinking about justice..."
"Justice? Who cares? Honestly, everyone says the Yoomyung Cult is bad, but has anyone seen them do anything bad? The Justice Alliance says they’re bad, so people believe it."
In the past, the Dark Division was fearsome, but as long as they weren’t challenged, there were no problems. For the wanderers, the Yoomyung Cult and the Justice Alliance were the same.