Pay For The Meal (1)

“If you don’t have the money to repay, you must pay us back with your own body.”

In the middle of the market, this woman was being dragged by her hair by two warriors.

Merchants and residents crowded around the noise, but none stepped forward to intervene.

The warriors of the Heavenly Dragon Merchant Chamber, trained in martial arts, were people to be feared.

An old man blocked their path and sobbed.

“Oh my, what crimes are you accusing my daughter of?”

“If you don’t want to be hurt, get out of my way. Or bring money.”

Even if he was overbearing and rolling his eyes, what father would give in when his daughter’s safety was on the line? The old man, having lost his composure, shouted in anger.

“You people! When did I ask you to lend me money? If you force me to borrow money and then demand that I repay it several times over, what can I even do….?”

Crush!

The old man, struck in the face by the warrior’s kick, went limp. He had likely fainted.

“There is a line in everything, and it must not be crossed.”

“Eukk. Father…”

“Shut up and follow me now. I will give you something good. Won’t it be nice to go and receive some affection?”

The people who had come out onto the street to watch the scene could only stomp their feet. Whispering and cursing were all they could do.

“Ugh. What can we do? I feel so bad… She isn’t even married.”

“Those bastards who don’t know manners!”

“How can people act so viciously in this world?”

It was then that a group of people appeared, pushing through the crowd.

“Let me pass for a moment.”

Uniforms with a Taiji symbol engraved on them and long swords tied behind their backs. They were the unrivaled Wudang warriors, on the surface at least.

The only female Taoist among them shouted in a loud voice.

“Eh, fucking trash!”

The warriors of the merchant chamber, who were dragging the woman, stopped at the same time.

“Eh? This is ridiculous. This damn woman is…”

The warriors looked back in absurdity.

This was because of the Wudang warriors, known to be one of the justice factions in martial arts.

They didn’t know why they were here, but they were not opponents they could fight against.

Before he knew it, a female Taoist from Wudang frowned and questioned,

“I cannot possibly let this pass. Keep talking now.”

“…”

The warriors of the merchant chamber, as if they were mute, didn’t utter a word.

“If you don’t let go of her hand right away, your wrist will be severed.”

Although the tone was threatening, there were warriors who believed in it. Among them, the one holding the woman by her hair said,

“Our merchant chamber lord has the Mount Hua Sect backing him. We are just collecting a debt, so don’t worry.”

“Debt? This seems like kidnapping to me.”

A look of confusion was evident on the warriors’ faces.

If the name of the Mount Hua Sect was mentioned, it was normal for anyone to retreat. Even if the opponent was a member of another large sect, it was common to avoid as much as possible any conflict between two sects.

However, the female swordsman’s eyes held a lethal intent, as if she were determined to attack him.

“If you don’t back down, we cannot stand back anymore. Formally going against Wudang…”

Before he could even finish, the female swordsman cut him off.

“There is no compromise with human traffickers.”

At that moment, the blade of her sword appeared behind her back like lightning, drawing a half-moon.

It was the Taiji Swift Cut, a sword technique used by the Wudang Sect.

Slash!

It was the sound of the wrist that was holding the woman’s hair being severed.

“Kuakkk!!!!”

Hearing the warrior’s painful screams, his comrade next to him froze.

“Wh-why are you doing this to us?”

She asked, pulling the woman behind her.

“Then what about you? Why did you do this to her?”

“Th-that…”

The female swordsman didn’t give them a chance to respond at all. In a split second, a ray of light kicked up and shot right for his shoulder.

It was a basic technique that all Wudang warriors learned.

The warrior’s eyes were clearly trying to find her, but the attack was too precise and fast to avoid.

Slash!

With the sound of something being cut, an arm rose into the air. And then, an echoing scream came.

“Kuaaaaak!”

It wasn’t a very pleasant sound, but to the residents watching, it felt like they were listening to exciting music.

Next, the tip of the female swordsman’s sword, which rose up diagonally, trembled with internal qi. Then, someone came up and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“That’s enough, Hyun Hee-sama.”

At that moment, the killing intent in her eyes vanished. And she barely regained her senses.

“Ah… I guess I got a bit too excited in that moment.”

Their identity was the Black Mountain Blade. The seven strongest bandits, disguised as Wudang Taoists, were among the best.

And there was no room for doubt that Hyun Hee, a talented disciple of the Wudang disciples, now stood at the forefront.

At that time, Pungho stepped forward in front of the warriors and placed his hand on his sword’s sheath and behind his back.

“If you don’t vanish right now, you will not live through this.”

They had no reason to refuse when they were told they could leave. So, the members of the merchant chamber, who were groaning in pain, quickly turned around.

At that moment, the residents cheered as if they had been waiting for this.

“Woahhh!!!”

“Thank you so much! Thank you!”

When did bandits ever receive such cheers?

Their hearts swelled with pride. They wanted to enjoy more of this unfamiliar feeling, but they didn’t have time.

Leaving them behind, the bandits moved quickly. As the surroundings turned quiet, the bandits who followed rushed to praise Hyun Hee.

“Woah. That was amazing, Commander.”

“I felt so reassured having the Commander by my side.”

“It was truly amazing!”

Hyun Hee just shrugged her shoulders. Then Pungho gestured to his subordinates.

“Do not make a mess now. There’s no way the Wudang Sect’s Taoists would be this careless, right?”

If their real identities were discovered, everything would be in vain.

Although they had clever disguises on the outside, the problem was that they didn’t possess this Taoist-like dignity.

But how could bandits ever do that?

As Pungho sighed, Hyun Hee smiled brightly and said it was fine.

“Aren’t Taoists people? It might seem different, but all places where people live are the same. Everyone is normal and good.”

“True, but….”

Pungho blushed slightly. The bandit leader was the only one who stepped back in front of her.

“Anyway, there’s no need to say too much. So, where’s the next place?”

It wasn’t their first time here. These seven people were going around Jinyang County, which could be referred to as the front yard of the merchant chamber.

“Let’s go to the ferry port now. According to the information, it will be time to collect money soon, so it would be better to get there early.”

The market center of Jinyang County.

This place, which was usually silent, was somehow lively today.

The faces of the merchants were bright, and there was a constant buzz over the place.

In a street teahouse at the entrance of an alley, an old man sat there, his bamboo ribs deeply pressed down.

It was Yu Jinsan who was observing this situation.

On the other side, Yu Seol was sipping milk from his bamboo bowl.

“Grapa, where milk come from?”

“Hmm. It comes from the cow.”

“Cow? Ohhhh~?”

“Hehe. That’s how a goat cries, child. I will show you a cow on the way home.”

Yu Jinsan was chatting with his granddaughter and constantly looking around. His gaze immediately caught somewhere.

The warriors were from the merchant chamber, patrolling the streets. Among them, one who appeared to be the leader was someone Yu Jinsan knew well.

A bloated face was covered with a black robe adorned with plum blossoms. He was one of the four gentlemen who had been scolded at the guesthouse earlier.

Now, that man was listening to explanations from his subordinates, a frown creasing his face.

“It is said that Ya Kwang’s group was affected a little while back.”

“Why are the Wudang coming in and making a mess for us!”

Their anger was justified. Why did the Taoists of Wudang, whose activities should have been confined to Hubei, come here and create a fuss?

He couldn’t understand it.

“No matter how much I think about it, I don’t know why. They go around randomly picking fights, and they seem quite determined.”

“Isn’t there something they want?”

“I tried offering money, but it didn’t help.”

“Haa… I’m going to turn around now.”

A man who seemed to be the captain grabbed the back of his neck. The financial loss they had suffered because of these Wudang Taoists was immense and still growing.

“You cannot just suffer like this, right? Except for two of them, the rest didn’t seem strong. Let’s just round them up and bury them.”

“Do you think we are silent because we don’t know that? But if something goes wrong, it would all be a waste.”

Hadn’t the residents witnessed the Wudang Taoists walking around? He had no choice but to be cautious.

As he was sighing, a man who seemed to be a subordinate came running hurriedly from afar.

“…?”

“This is an order from the commander! Everyone is told to stop their activities and wait.”

“What are you talking about?”

“It is said that the lord directly requested help from the Mount Hua Sect. At the moment, some of the 2nd-class disciples are staying nearby and are going to meditate.”

His expression brightened at the good news.

“Right, how much money have we paid to Mount Hua so far? We had to pay for their food. Where are they now?”

“They were at the Domain Guesthouse, but they were said to be going to the ferry port. It seemed like another incident had occurred.”

“To the ferry? They’re horrible. I will go there and everyone else should move to their posts.”

“Yes!”

Yu Jinsan was watching them with interest.

So far, everything had been smooth.

“Shall we go and see the cow, Seol?”

“Yes!”

First, he had to head to the ferry port.

Yu Jinsan wrapped his granddaughter in the cloth again and carried her on his back.

His steps were secretly following one of the four gentlemen of the chamber.

The only one among them who knew his face. To avoid disruption in their plans, factors which could be variables had to be eliminated in advance.

‘I am sorry, but I cannot let you live.’

He followed the man for a long time without leaving any trace and when the moment came, the guy entered a deserted alley.

“Didn’t you say you’d stop making a mess?”

The guy looked back, shocked at the soft voice which came from behind.

As he realized Yu Jinsan was there, the man’s entire body trembled, as if his body had taken over.

This warrior, who was definitely stronger, used aggressive attacks from behind. It was completely unexpected that he, who was assumed to have retired and gone home, hadn’t left the village.

“Wh-why are you here….?”

“Still, I thought I should give you one last chance. If you have a reason to live, hurry up and talk to me.”

“…”

What was there to say? He opened his mouth wide in shock.

At that time, a child peered out from over Yu Jinsan’s shoulder.

“Handsome man.”

It seemed like Yu Seol also remembered him.

“Close your eyes for a moment now, child.”

“Okay.”

He couldn’t just let him go.

The moment the child closed her eyes, Yu Jinsan rushed towards the man. The opponent, whose entire body was frozen, seemed to have forgotten even the thought of defense.

In the blink of an eye, Yu Jinsan’s hands wrapped around the man’s chin, like the flapping wings of a white crane.

Crack!