novelraw Chapter 37 : Chapter 37
Chapter 37 : Chapter 37
Chapter 37 - What is this new work?
“Chaha!”
Every time the man with the nasty impression swung his sword, the ruffians of Gam-i Gang fell like autumn leaves.
A nimble footwork that didn’t match his sturdy build.
And a blade that always arrived faster than the opponent’s.
Watching Uma swing his saber without hesitation, Gam-i Gang had to regret their actions belatedly.
‘Strong……!’
‘Why was a guy like this working as a lone loan shark?’
‘We picked the wrong opponent……!’
They were not members of a formal sect, but they were men who had lived by the sword in the back alleys for years.
They had plenty of experience shaking down pretentious guys who acted tough just because they had learned some martial arts, down to their underwear.
But the loan shark before them, Uma, was different.
He wielded his sword as if he had truly learned the martial arts of a prestigious orthodox sect.
However.
Uma’s own situation was not so good either.
Twinge.
“Hmph.”
At the sharp sensation in his palm, Uma snorted.
If he had known this would happen, he should have brought his own sword.
It seemed his hand was acting up from repeatedly swinging an unfamiliar saber.
There was no good in dragging this out.
Uma ignored the pain and swung his sword with even more ferocious momentum.
“It’s no use!”
“Run!”
Were they overwhelmed by his ferocity?
The ruffians of Gam-i Gang suddenly turned their backs and started to flee.
“Pathetic fools.”
Watching the fleeing Gam-i Gang, Uma spat on the ground.
“!”
Suddenly, Uma’s expression hardened.
The most important opponent was still out of sight.
The leader of Gam-i Gang, Ho Pyeong.
Where was he?
‘Could it be…….’
The boy he had entrusted his back to.
In Uma’s mind, a boy with a face prettier than a woman’s came to mind.
What if Ho Pyeong had gone to deal with that kid first?
Fwhik!
Uma scowled fiercely and quickly turned around.
Although he was a stranger, he was someone Jinbae had brought, so it would be troublesome if something happened to him.
He had felt something extraordinary about the kid, but his opponent was the leader of Gam-i Gang.
If he had been taken down while trying to buy time…….
“Hmm?”
Uma furrowed his brow.
Most people would think he was angry, but he wasn’t.
He was currently ‘doubting’.
Whether he was seeing things.
“Is that now……?”
When you’re a loan shark, you see all sorts of things.
There are no debtors without a story, and nothing is incomprehensible.
But he couldn’t make sense of this at all.
Ho Pyeong had collapsed flat on the ground.
And next to him, a boy was removing his gold accessories.
How could he possibly understand this absurd situation……!
“Ehehehe!”
From the sound of his voice, he clearly had a youthful feel.
A cheerful laugh like that of peers playing pranks in the market.
But the sight before him was a million light-years away from such innocence.
“What are you doing?”
“Commission.”
“Commission?”
“I can’t ask you for the remaining one-third, so I’m taking my commission on my own. Your request didn’t include taking this guy down.”
That was certainly true.
What Uma had requested of Biyoung was to inform him of anyone ambushing from behind.
And if the situation allowed, to buy some time.
But Biyoung hadn't just bought time; he had beaten him to a pulp.
And not just some lackey, but the leader of Gam-i Gang……!
‘Come to think of it…….’
He remembered the Gam-i Gang ruffians who had turned and fled while the fight was still going on.
He thought it was strange that they had suddenly tucked their tails, but it seemed they had seen their leader go down.
“Is it true that this kid really defeated Ho Pyeong?”
At Uma’s question, Jinbae nodded with a dazed expression.
“I can’t believe it myself.”
Uma, who was not easily surprised, now had his pupils shaking greatly.
‘Does this even make sense?’
Uma could have handled someone like Ho Pyeong.
He had seen the man fight from a distance before.
But the important thing was that Biyoung’s hands were empty.
Could he have taken down Ho Pyeong with his bare hands?
‘I can’t say for sure.’
With a build that was only about half the thickness of Ho Pyeong’s, how could such a result be possible at such a young age?
Uma felt a strong curiosity.
Judging by his expression, Jinbae didn’t seem to know the situation either.
In times like this, it was faster to ask directly.
“Are you the grandson who lives with Elder Jinbae?”
“Yeah. My name is Biyoung.”
“I’m Uma. Where did you learn martial arts?”
“I had an awakening at some point.”
“……So you don’t want to answer properly.”
“You wouldn’t understand even if I told you.”
“Hmph.”
Uma gave Biyoung a rotten smile.
He didn’t like the informal speech, and he hadn’t gotten a straight answer, but he didn’t feel particularly bad.
It was a strange empathy that could be felt between those with rough and direct personalities.
“I’ll settle the payment tonight. It doesn’t look like you have anywhere to keep it right now.”
“Right. I can’t even fit it all in the pouch I have.”
Perhaps because of the unexpected gains, the corners of Biyoung’s mouth were soaring high.
Jinbae, who had been watching with a confused expression, soon came to his senses.
“Where are the other children?”
“I saw them all working a little while ago.”
“Alright. Are you done with your business?”
“There’s still some left, but it doesn’t matter. They probably all ran away after seeing what just happened.”
“Hmm.”
Jinbae let out a low groan.
So, there were no more people around from whom he could collect money?
Jinbae licked his lips once, as if he didn’t like Uma’s line of work.
“Alright. Let’s go to the nearest child first.”
“Then let’s go to Danseol.”
The vicious words and swordplay from just before were gone, and Uma’s attitude towards Jinbae was quite polite.
‘Why is he suddenly acting like that?’
‘Who the hell is that old man?’
‘It’s like he’s become a different person.’
The onlookers watching suspected that Uma might have two personalities.
But to Biyoung, who was next to him, it was a familiar sight.
No matter how much of a scoundrel a swordsman was, it was the way of a sect to be polite to the elders of one’s school.
Just as the World’s Fastest Sword had been in the past.
Thump thump.
Uma led the way, with Jinbae and Biyoung following behind.
Biyoung, suddenly curious, asked Jinbae.
“Is the person called Danseol also of the same age as Uma?”
“Similar. Uma is probably a year older.”
“Then they would be from the same school, but their names are completely different. Do the people here not use generation names?”
“We needed to be careful.”
“Careful?”
“As I said before, there are many ethnic minorities here. So the local customs are rough, but on the other hand, it’s a perfect place to hide one’s identity and blend in. However, people’s eyes and ears are open day and night. What would you think if people using the same generation name appeared at the same time and started doing business?”
“Suspicious.”
“Exactly.”
“Hmm.”
That made sense.
Hiding from others, it would be foolish to give themselves away with their names.
I didn’t know if they had used these names from the beginning, but it was a pretty effective method.
“Uma is the only one who acknowledges us outside. When we meet Danseol, we also go as simple customers and talk.”
“I see. Surely, the one called Danseol isn’t engaged in a delinquent business too, right?”
At the word ‘delinquent’, Uma’s shoulder flinched slightly.
But Biyoung didn’t pay any attention and still looked at Jinbae.
“No. Danseol is just a painter. He sets up a stall on the side of the street and sells simple landscape paintings.”
“Oh. A painter.”
Right.
The one called Danseol seems to be a normal person then.
“Keub.”
“?”
Uma’s voice came from the front.
He seemed to be holding back a laugh, but all I could see was the back of his head.
What is it?
Is there something grandfather doesn’t know?
Just as Biyoung tilted his head, Uma’s steps came to a halt.
“We’ve arrived… but it seems a fight has broken out.”
“Eh?”
No.
This house, no, this sect, does trouble follow wherever they go?
Biyoung, who was the worst troublemaker in the Diancang Sect in the past, clicked his tongue, tsk tsk.
As they got closer, there was indeed a small commotion.
“Hey! I told you not to set up a stall here, didn’t I?”
“Hehe. Please give me a break.”
Pale.
His face was even paler than Biyoung’s, who was called ‘Jade Face’.
Looking at his fine and slender wrists, the profession of a painter seemed to suit him well.
‘Though that too is probably a disguised profession.’
Another impressive thing was his eyes.
Eyes so slender it was hard to tell if they were open or closed.
Looking at his crescent-shaped slanted eyes, he looked simple, and on the other hand, a bit scary.
“Does he also use force openly like you?”
“No. Danseol doesn't show his martial arts in public. It would be strange for a painter to use a sword instead of a brush.”
“Hmmmm.”
Well.
Uma was still young(?), so he probably didn’t know.
Among the peerless swordsmen, there were quite a few who were skilled painters.
There was even a case of a top master of the time who roamed the world disguised as a painter like Danseol.
The need to move one’s hands delicately was the same for both a brush and a sword.
In that sense, Biyoung became quite curious about the skills of the man called Danseol.
The problem was that he wouldn’t be seeing his martial arts right now.
“Then isn’t that a problem? Those guys don’t seem like they’ll just let it go.”
Danseol was giggling with a strange laugh, but his opponent didn’t seem to have any intention of letting him off.
If he hid his martial arts, he could be in trouble here.
But Uma didn’t seem worried at all.
“That guy has his own way of doing things.”
“His own way……?”
A white tooth was slightly revealed between Uma’s lips.
Is he actually smiling?
“Hehehe. Please let it go just this once today. I’ll give you a brand-new work that I drew yesterday after receiving the energy of the full moon.”
“N-new work?”
The expressions of the men who had been glaring fiercely changed in an instant.
Biyoung instinctively knew that they had been hoping for that ‘new work’ from the beginning.
So.
What is this new work?
“Hehe.”
Danseol took out a neatly rolled piece of paper from his bosom.
In the middle of the rolled paper was a thin pink knot.
“Th-that!”
“What’s wrong, Grandfather?”
“Could that be……!”
What’s wrong with him?
What’s that pink knot?
Watching Jinbae’s face turn ashen, Biyoung wore a bewildered expression.
Finding that amusing, Uma chuckled.
“It seems Elder Jinbae is mistaken about something. To think that the pictures that bastard draws are pure.”
“What is he handing over now?”
“Erotic art.”
“Erotic…… art?”
Erotic art.
There was only one meaning for the word ‘erotic art’ that Biyoung knew.
A picture depicting such and such things between a man and a woman…….
Wait.
He said he’s a painter.
So that man called Danseol drew that erotic art?
“E-erotic art from a Taoist sect!”
“That’s what I’m saying!”
For once, Grandfather and I said the same thing.
Perhaps the deceased Sect Leader was also screaming along in heaven.
I thought the one called Danseol was normal.
Now I see he was even worse than Uma, not better.
A descendant of a Taoist sect drawing such pictures between a man and a woman… what? Does that even make sense!
“After loan sharking, now erotic art……”
At this point, I was afraid to even check what the other bastards were doing.
“Ahem. Then just for this week. From next week, sell it somewhere else!”
“Thank you.”
The stout men returned with satisfied smiles, holding the erotic art in their hands.
The corners of Danseol’s mouth, who had been bowing repeatedly, were now lifted at a strange angle.
“Well now……”
Sect Leader.
Why are all your descendants like this?