I’ll Do Anything Please. (2)

Before they knew it, two days had flown by.

Even though they were told to leave, the Extreme Five stubbornly held their ground.

But it wasn’t as if they could beat up the granddaughter’s friends.

Yu Jinsan approached those resting in the vegetable plot and asked.

“What are you lot planning to do? I told you at dawn to slip away and run far off.”

Cheon Woo-hwan replied with a dark expression.

“It’s too dangerous. The old man from the Peng family, like a viper, found our position, so the Murim Alliance surely laid an ambush.”

At that moment Yu Jinsan casually raised a hand and pretended to hit.

“What old man? You think you can mock the elders? Do you know what an elder feels!?”

“S-sorry, elder.”

Yu Jinsan nodded toward the pile of medicinal herbs.

“Enough. Pack those into sacks. They’ll be needed when we leave.”

“All of them?”

“Why? Want me to give each of you a root to eat too?”

“Ah, no, sir!”

The Extreme Five dashed toward the sacks.

They watched them for a moment without much thought.

Suddenly a landslide on the back hill shocked everyone.

Rumble rumble rumble-!!!

As if the end had come, the whole world shook.

The pavilion trembled as if about to collapse, and the trees beyond the fence rocked as if they’d break.

Everyone was startled, but it didn’t last long.

‘It started again. Was it the Dragon Strike Lion Roar?’

Yu Seol was learning the final technique from Soso.

Dragon Strike Lion Roar. As the name suggests, it was a terrifying martial art said to bring a dragon from the sky down with a lion’s roar.

It’s not mere shouting. It’s an ultimate yin technique that releases immense internal energy in an instant.

Its power exceeded any martial art he knew.

According to the Sword Empress, only a cultivator whose internal qi has reached the body-transcending realm, a ‘perfect constitution body’, can master this technique.

It was a ridiculously rare technique only two people in the world could learn.

‘Sigh. The house might collapse at this rate.’

Yu Jinsan shook his head and went into the pavilion to pack his bundle.

It would be a very long journey. They didn’t know when they’d return, so there was much to prepare.

He was folding his granddaughter’s clothes carefully when—

“Grandpa, are you leaving already?”

It was Soso, who had just finished her final training. Yu Seol held her hand tightly beside her.

“We have far to go, so we can’t dawdle. The Sword Empress said he was leaving today too, right?”

“Yes. I’ve taught Seol all the techniques she needs, so I can leave with peace of mind.”

“Thank you. Sharing your martial arts couldn’t have been an easy decision…”

Every technique of the Sword Empress was worth a small fortune.

He couldn’t help but be grateful that those were passed down to his granddaughter.

But she showed no regret at all.

“Not at all. I too gained many insights thanks to Seol.”

Yu Jinsan looked at his granddaughter with surprise.

“From her?”

“Yes, of course. If I study Seol’s Seol Seol Beatdown and Tentacle One Hundred and Eight Strikes well, I think I can create an invincible sword technique.”

They were the basic forms of the Invincible Seol Spear Technique that his granddaughter had devised herself.

Although it was a spear art, the Sword Empress could likely adapt it into a sword technique.

Yu Jinsan saw his granddaughter puff out her shoulders with a proud smile.

“I taught her, unnie.”

“Good, very well done. I’ll be out for a little while, so get ready to leave with your unnie and come out.”

Yu Jinsan politely stepped aside.

He wanted to give them time to say their goodbyes.

“Huh? Where are you going?”

“Let’s all have a big lunch at the market today.”

It would be their last meal with the Sword Empress.

He wanted to treat them generously at an inn in Ho County.

The two of them went out and even packed up all their luggage.

The Extreme Five who came along were also burdened with sacks—they had packed the Jinsan Ginseng.

The eight of them took seats in the center of the inn.

The most excited by the lavish spread was Yu Seol.

“Unnie, have you tried this? It’s tasty, try some.”

“Yes. Thanks, Seol.”

Yu Seol kept putting food on Soso’s plate; she seemed very fond of her.

“This one, is the food only here for your unnie?”

When grandpa pretended to sulk, Yu Seol gave an embarrassed smile.

“Heehee. Grandpa, you eat too.”

“Enough! You’re groveling for compliments.”

Soso giggled at Yu Jinsan’s joke.

The meal atmosphere was very warm.

But the area around them was in an uproar.

With the Yin Monster and the Sword Empress appearing in one place, what could be a bigger topic?

The loud chatter never ceased.

“Is that… the Sword Empress?”

“I’m sure. I saw her at the Golden Hand Washing ceremony.”

“Why are the Sword Empress and the Yin Yang Twin Monster heroes together?”

“Maybe they’re planning to raid the Murim Alliance together?”

“No way? That person already retired.”

The noise grew louder.

Then Cheon Woo-hwan, the eldest of the Extreme Five who had been sitting silently, rose quietly.

He fixed his gaze, drew a circle as he walked, and addressed the crowd.

“Shut your mouths. The Sword Empress and the Yin Yang Twin Monster heroes are eating—are you planning to disturb them?”

The previously noisy inn fell silent in an instant.

Although Yu Seol and Soso had been stealing the spotlight, the Extreme Five were also famous in Ho County.

Cheon Woo-hwan glanced around with a satisfied look.

Suddenly his face hardened and fixed on a single spot.

It was a middle-aged man dressed as an official, sitting alone at the seat closest to the entrance.

He ignored the surrounding reaction and drank alone.

Cheon Woo-hwan strode up to him.

“Wait, you know me, right?”

When he glared, the middle-aged man avoided his gaze, looking flustered.

“W-what are you talking about? I’ve never seen you before.”

“I never forget a face I’ve seen once. Look me in the eye.”

As the atmosphere grew tense, Yu Jinsan stepped in to stop him.

“Enough!”

At his word, Cheon Woo-hwan immediately turned back and clasped his hands.

“Sorry for being rude, elder.”

“Do you have to act like that at a pleasant meal?”

Cheon Woo-hwan glanced once more at the middle-aged man.

By then the man had taken the chance to slip out of the inn.

“That fellow just now—I remember him as definitely one of the Justice Faction.”

Ho County, a sacred place for the Evil faction people, forbids entry by members of the Justice Faction.

If Cheon Woo-hwan was correct, the man had come to spy on local affairs.

It wouldn’t be limited to this inn. The Murim Alliance’s planted informants could be anywhere.

“No need to worry about petty fellows individually.”

“Understood, elder.”

“Apologize to those around you. The Evil factions must act like themselves; how dare you spoil the free atmosphere?”

Without hesitation, Cheon Woo-hwan clasped his hands toward those around him.

“Sorry, hyungs! Cheon Woo-hwan will offer a drink each as an apology today!”

The Evil Faction martial arts warriors heartily accepted his apology.

The inn returned to its noisy chatter, laughter unending.

After finishing their meal, the group went to stroll through the market together.

They visited a teahouse, bought snacks from stalls, and enjoyed their time; meanwhile the Extreme Five dutifully trailed as porters.

As dusk fell they moved to the village entrance. It was time to say goodbye.

“Don’t go, unnie.”

Yu Seol sobbed and hugged her waist tightly.

Soso couldn’t move because she wouldn’t let go.

“We’ll see each other again soon, Seol.”

“Really?”

“Of course~ Then we’ll go eat tasty foods together and see wonderful sights.”

“Yes… promise.”

“Alright, your unnie promises.”

Soso stroked Yu Seol’s head, then approached Yu Jinsan again.

“Thank you? I hardly did anything.”

“No. You’ve raised Seol so well.”

A benevolent smile appeared on Yu Jinsan’s face.

“I only did what any grandfather should.”

“Now the fate of the world rests on Seol. I feel heavy-hearted leaving such a burden.”

Soso met Yu Jinsan’s gaze for a moment.

What more needed to be said?

They understood each other’s feelings with just their eyes.

“Then I wish you the best of luck.”

Yu Seol watched Soso’s retreating figure with a gloomy face.

As if she couldn’t help it, she glanced back several times and waved.

“We’ll meet again soon. We should be off too, right?”

Yu Jinsan patted his granddaughter’s back to comfort her.

“Where are you going?”

“Hmm. First we’ll stop by the Defeating Blade Clan to deliver this, and then first of all…”

He trailed off and watched something in the distance.

Black smoke was rising from a spot roughly ten or so ri away.

The Extreme Five watching from afar muttered.

“Looks like a fire.”

“Who the hell’s playing with fire near the foothills…?”

“If that goes wrong the fire could spread, right?”

They spoke nonchalantly, but the two generations reacted differently.

“Grandpa. Isn’t that in the direction of our house?”

Yu Jinsan also felt an inexplicable bad premonition.

He couldn’t not check it.

“Just in case, I’ll go check quickly. Wait here.”

It was a distance he could reach quickly with light footwork skill.

But his granddaughter wasn’t one to just watch.

Before he knew it, Yu Seol stood shoulder to shoulder with him and asked.

“Someone didn’t set our house on fire, did they?”

“I doubt it. Who would dare do such a thing?”

But the two people couldn’t hide their unease.

A short while later the two arrived and gaped in shock.

The manor they’d recently bought was burning fiercely.

Half the pavilion had already caught fire. The vegetable plot needn’t be checked; it was likely all ablaze.

They hadn’t even harvested the pumpkins and eggplants yet.

“Who the hell did this!?”

Even normally composed Yu Jinsan couldn’t hide his dismay.

Who dared set his house on fire?

“Who…”

Yu Jinsan felt that his granddaughter’s anger was no ordinary thing.

Seeing her clench both fists and tremble, it looked like she was about to explode.

And at that moment.

Suddenly an enormous sonic wave burst from Yu Seol’s mouth.

“WHO IS IT!!!!!”

The power of the Dragon Strike Lion Roar witnessed before their eyes was tremendous.

With a fierce quake, a tremendous gale shot toward the manor.

It instantly knocked down the outer wall and swept over the burning pavilion.

The fire was extinguished instantly, but from the shock the pavilion began to collapse entirely.

Having lost the home they had struggled to secure, how could one describe their shock?

Tears like chicken droppings dropped from Yu Seol’s eyes.

After watching for a moment, Yu Jinsan stepped forward to calm his granddaughter.

“It’s alright, child. Once everything is done, we’ll go back and live at the Yu family house where we held the memorial last time. Grandpa will find a way.”

But Yu Seol’s intense emotions didn’t seem to subside.

The Extreme Five, who arrived late, watched from afar, swallowing nervously.

Then Cheon Woo-hwan sidled up to Yu Jinsan and whispered.

“Elder. Could it be the fellow we saw at the inn earlier? I just remembered who he is.”

“Speak quickly.”

Cheon Woo-hwan took a deep breath and spoke cautiously.

“He’s a brat I saw in the Shaanxi branch forces of the Murim Alliance.”

So it was indeed the work of a Murim Alliance member?

If they’d stooped to such petty acts, it was most likely small-time lackeys.

His claim had credibility—renowned elders like disciple Peng Mugi would consider such acts a disgrace.

“They probably haven’t gone far; we should search the surroundings.”

At that moment Yu Seol examined footprints and lingering traces and murmured.

“It is not just one. I’ll go that way.”

That meant several people moved in a group. Then it had been a planned arson.

It was unforgivable.

“Alright. From now on scatter and search the area, and if it’s dangerous or you find anything, sound the horn immediately. Within 15 km I’ll run there at once.”

The Extreme Five bowed together in anger.