novelraw Chapter 23 : Chapter 23
Chapter 23 : Chapter 23
Chapter 23 - We have received a great favor
A pile of silver coins.
Various jewels that appeared to have been plundered.
All sorts of shiny things were placed in front of Biyoung.
This alone was enough wealth to live on for several years.
However, Biyoung's face was still sullen.
“Is this all?”
“Yes, yes!”
“Hmm…….”
Biyoung, who had glanced over the silver coins and goods, glared at the bandits again.
“I don’t think so.”
“It’s true! We don’t even have enough travel expenses to return to the stronghold now. We’ll have to sleep in the mountains!”
One bandit stepped forward and complained as if he had been wronged, but what came back was…….
Bbak!
“Keok!”
Only a thunderous impact that echoed from the top of his head.
“If you’re bandits, you should sleep in the mountains. Where are you trying to sleep comfortably? Bandits these days don’t have the basic attitude of a bandit. A bandit should chew on poisonous herbs and wear clothes made from bear skin! It wasn’t like this in my day. Tsk!”
The bandits, who were suddenly subjected to a lengthy speech on the basic virtues of being a bandit.
Their feelings were indescribably miserable.
‘Just kill me instead!’
‘Why does this brat whose head hasn't even dried of blood keep talking about ‘his day’?’
‘I’ve been a bandit for over ten years, and I have to hear this from that punk……!’
However.
It goes without saying, but not a single one of them expressed any complaints.
They had clearly seen with their own two eyes what happened to the bandits who knew martial arts.
The bandits remaining here were, comically enough, the ones left behind because they were weak.
Well, they were already broken in one or two places anyway.
“Anyway, it’s not enough, so give me more.”
“!”
There was no villain like this one.
Does this bastard really need them to give up every last piece of their underwear to be satisfied?
But there was another reason why Biyoung was not satisfied.
“We haven’t searched him. The most important one.”
“……?”
Biyoung pointed in one direction with his chin.
There was the seven-cheok giant who had foamed at the mouth and fainted.
“Ah…… so you mean…….”
He's telling us to empty the leader's pockets?
‘That side (?) is certainly loaded, but…….’
Even while giving up all they had, the bandits didn't even glance towards Jang Pae.
It was an action that came from a kind of unconsciousness.
Was it because of their loyalty to their leader?
No, there was a more realistic reason.
Later, when Jang Pae woke up and learned of the situation, the one who had laid a hand on his body would have his head fly off that very day.
“Hmm…….”
Biyoung looked at the hesitant bandits and stroked his chin as if he understood something.
Then, he eliminated their hesitation with a single stroke.
“Do you want to die by my hand now, or die by your leader’s hand later?”
“!”
The bandits, who came to their senses, rushed towards Jang Pae one after another.
Right.
If they had to choose one of the two, searching him was the right choice.
Besides, since his Dantian was destroyed, he might not be able to use his strength in the future……!
While they were frantically taking off Jang Pae's pockets and accessories, Biyoung's voice was heard from behind them.
“Look, look, look. Look at what those disloyal bastards are doing. They’re like traitors worse than the puppies they raised.”
‘You ordered it! You!’
‘A demon. A demon has descended upon Yunnan……!!’
‘Damn it. How did a monster like that appear……!!’
Regardless of their inner thoughts, the bandits diligently (?) collected the gold trinkets and brought them before Biyoung.
“Right. This is more like it.”
Only then did Biyoung smile with satisfaction.
“Now you can go.”
“Yes, yes!”
The bandits started running without looking back, lest Biyoung change his mind.
One might think at least one of them would take care of Jang Pae, but he was still lying on the cold ground.
Perhaps a new world would unfold for him when he regained consciousness.
He would become a weak giant who could never use martial arts again.
“Tsk tsk. The dignity of a leader is shown at times like this. It seems he was closer to a tyrant than a wise king.”
Biyoung looked at the sprawled Jang Pae and gave a cold sneer.
Once the situation was settled, Head Manager Jo Seom approached Biyoung and bowed his waist.
“Thank you for your help, Young Master Biyoung.”
“Hehe. It’s nothing.”
The appearance of him treating Jang Pae like a rat in a trap was completely gone, and a pure smile befitting his age appeared on his face.
In such a short time, how many expressions had he seen from this person?
For Jo Seom, he was a person who was utterly difficult to understand.
“Thanks to you, our merchant caravan has avoided a great disaster.”
“That’s right.”
“Yes?”
“I said, that’s right.”
Um……?
Don't people usually say it's nothing, even if it's just an empty compliment?
Jo Seom's words were cut short by the overly blatant affirmation.
“Why? You were the one who said it first, Head Manager. Is something strange?”
“Ah. No, sir.”
It wasn't a typical conversation, but Biyoung's words were not wrong either.
As he himself had said, the Yi Family Clan had received great help from Biyoung.
And they were not a group that ever repaid favors received lightly.
Jo Seom composed himself and spoke in a polite voice.
“As the Head Manager representing the Yi family's merchant caravan, I promise to surely repay this favor in the future.”
“Half.”
“Yes?”
“If you give me half of the profits from this caravan, the calculation will be correct.”
Uh……?
No…….
I didn't plan on expressing my gratitude to that extent…….
“Why. Is it a waste?”
“……!”
He was a man whose expression was hard to read.
He seemed to be joking without any thought, but at the same time, it felt as if he was staring intently into the depths of one's heart.
Jo Seom was flustered, but he was not shaken.
Judging by this person's martial arts, he was not likely someone who grew up among street thugs.
In a situation where he didn't even know who was behind him, he couldn't bring disaster upon himself by being greedy for the profit before him.
Jo Seom waved his hands and showed an exaggerated reaction.
“How could that be. It’s absolutely out of the question. As the young master said, after we return from the caravan, we will pay the price. The owner of our caravan is…….”
“The Yi Family Clan, right? The one in Yiliang County.”
At that, not only Jo Seom, but also Song Ak next to him, had their eyes wide open.
“How do you know about us?”
“I heard it on my way past earlier. Something about even after attacking our Yi Family Clan, and so on.”
“Ah. I see.”
At that time, Biyoung and the merchant caravan were more than ten jang apart, but Jo Seom, who had no way of knowing the truth, simply thought that he had heard it from nearby.
“There's someone named Sedong there, right? In the Yi Family Clan.”
“!”
At the name Sedong, Jo Seom’s complexion hardened slightly.
This man had crushed even the notoriously infamous Jang Pae like a child's toy.
Although he was a benefactor, it was necessary to be cautious until he knew his true intentions.
However, Biyoung felt rather pleased seeing Jo Seom raising his guard.
These people have loyalty.
Unlike the bandits.
“No need to be surprised. Sedong and I became friends after meeting at the same martial arts hall…… no, that’s not right! At a bookstore. I also live near Yiliang County. If you’re really suspicious, you can check with Sedong directly.”
Was it because he said he could check with the person himself?
Jo Seom soon relaxed and let out a sound of admiration.
“Oh…… then this is a truly amazing connection. For a friend of Young Master Yi to help our merchant caravan. In many ways, we have met a benefactor at a moment of life and death.”
“In many ways? Is something wrong with Sedong?”
“Ah…… that is…….”
A friend of Sedong and the benefactor of the caravan.
With the tension from encountering the bandits also released, Jo Seom uncharacteristically made a slip of the tongue.
“It seems I misspoke. As soon as we return to the caravan, I will send word and formally invite the young master.”
“Hmm.”
Biyoung thought for a moment and then nodded readily.
“Well. Alright. The injuries the escorts suffered are not minor, will you be alright from now on?”
“We will be fine. We deliberately took a deserted and rough mountain path, so surely we won't be struck by lightning twice in one day.”
“It is certainly strange. To meet guys like Jang Pae in a place like this.”
It felt meaningful somehow.
But Jo Seom thought he was just being sensitive because he had encountered bandits.
“We also plan to send a separate message to the escort agency to supplement the escorts. We will return safely, so please take care of yourself, young master.”
“Yes. Have a safe trip.”
Biyoung left a brief farewell and disappeared abruptly.
It was truly a tiger-like movement.
With most of the bandits and Biyoung gone, the events of a moment ago felt like a dream.
“……He is a ghostly man. Isn’t he.”
Song Ak, who was next to Jo Seom, asked with a face as if he had seen a ghost.
Jo Seom, with a similar face, stared in the direction he had disappeared.
“Yes. A man impossible to understand. But there is one certain fact.”
“What is that?”
“That the Yi Family Clan has received a great favor from that young master. And perhaps…….”
The connection between Biyoung and the Yi Family Clan might not end here.
Jo Seom harbored such thoughts as he stared in the direction Biyoung had vanished.
***
Thanks to diligently traveling to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Biyoung arrived a day ahead of Jinbae.
An old man with a limp had traveled a long way, so it was impossible for him not to be travel-weary.
From the night he arrived until the evening of the next day, Jinbae was sick for a whole day.
During that time, Biyoung personally cooked porridge to help Jinbae's recovery, and during the day, he went down to the village to keep a busy schedule.
Why would a guy who quit the martial arts hall be busy?
If he hadn't met the Yi Family Clan's merchant caravan in the middle, that might have been the case.
But Biyoung's pockets were bulging with various gold trinkets and silver coins.
“Are you sure these aren't stolen goods?”
The owner of the jewelry shop sent a blatant gaze towards Biyoung.
He was a very handsome and finely featured boy, but his appearance was quite shabby.
“Aish. I’m just not going to sell them.”
“Ahem! So impatient. Come here and have a seat.”
“I have a rough idea of the prices, so don't even think about lowballing me. Don't even dream of going below fifteen silver coins per item.”
When Biyoung puffed out his chest and made a threat, the jeweler was seized by a feeling of bewilderment.
‘What kind of guy is this?’
It was an item that would make anyone suspicious.
The types and values of the jewels were vastly different, and there were many strange accessories for a young boy to be selling.
But among the goods that came into the jewelry shop, which one didn't have a story?
There was no particular flaw with the items, so it was a situation where he could make a large profit if he lowballed appropriately.
However, the boy before him had set a firm lower limit for all the jewels.
What was dumbfounding was that there wasn't much difference when compared to the market price.
‘He probably hasn't earned money or made a deal before…….’
Of course.
It wasn't to the extent of calling off the deal.
Even if the boy before him wasn't a pushover, he was at least a good business partner.
“Here you go. Count it.”
The jeweler handed over a bundle filled with silver coins.
It was an amount that couldn't even be fully contained in a flimsy cloth wallet.
“Hmm. It’s correct. Can you hold onto this for a moment?”
“Haha. You little rascal. What are you going to do if I run away?”
“Then this building will collapse, won’t it?”
“Huh?”
“It’ll just be a moment. About a quarter of an hour?”
Biyoung said that and then trotted out of the shop.
“Let’s see…….”
Now that he had sold the jewels pretty well, it was time to prepare for the next step.
Biyoung, who was looking around, soon found what he was looking for.
A strange smile bloomed on his lips.
“After banditry, it’s thievery.”
The place Biyoung's gaze was directed at.
It was a fabric shop, with plenty of jet-black martial arts uniforms hanging up.