Chapter 69
Chapter 69
Ch. 69🔒 .｡.:✧ Return ✧:.｡.
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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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Dong-il’s father, the blacksmith, was a typical middle-aged man with a head of graying hair.
He was a man who gave off a somewhat upright impression, despite his continuous dry coughs, and I could immediately guess what kind of personality he had.
‘It seems it will be quite difficult to persuade him.’
At that moment when I was slowly nodding my head, the blacksmith, who had finally raised his upper body from the bed, asked while coughing.
“…So, what did you say was the reason you came to see me?”
“I came here because I want to make a weapon out of a special iron ingot I have.”
“Hmm…”
The blacksmith looked at me with an unbelievable look in his eyes.
It was an attitude full of caution, and at the blacksmith’s reaction, I clicked my tongue several times inwardly.
‘I wonder how he will react…’
At that moment, the blacksmith, who was crossing his arms as if he was contemplating something, shook his head and immediately said to me,
“I will not accept the request.”
“……!”
“You can see from my physical and mental state. You seem to be a pretty skilled master in the martial arts world, so don’t waste your time on an old man like me who doesn’t have much time left to live, and find another blacksmith.”
“……”
“As you can see, I am a body that is just waiting for death. You may think it’s pathetic, but because I’ve been living in a drunken stupor for several years, my arms and legs no longer function properly, and the burning passion has long since turned into a cold cynicism.”
“…I heard that you were famous as a renowned master whose fame was well-known in the area in the past, was it a false reputation?”
As I asked that, the blacksmith frowned for a moment and then let out a deep sigh and said.
“That’s right. But I am no longer a blacksmith who can even hammer iron, let alone work the bellows properly.”
“……”
“So please don’t have any hope and just go back.”
It was the blacksmith who was harshly belittling himself.
As I was looking at Dong-il’s father with a strange look in my eyes, I thought.
‘Even if he says that, he must have been a master with a very strong pride in his youth. Rather, it’s a case where his self-confidence has turned negative due to his grief.’
As I was standing there, Dong-il, who was looking at me with an anxious look, let out a long sigh.
“Huu. Father…”
“Why are you here? Didn’t you say you were working at the inn?”
“I-I quit that job.”
“…What?”
“No matter how much I think about it, I don’t think my calling is to be a waiter, Father.”
“T-This bastard…!”
Unlike his father, who had hazy eyes, the son was looking at his father with clear eyes.
For some reason, I felt that Dong-il was persuading his father with his eyes.
In the empty heart of the old man, who had burned endlessly and had not even ashes left, Dong-il was fanning the last spark to make it burn again.
Dong-il stared at the blacksmith intently.
At that, the blacksmith let out a breath as if he was not convinced, and then he pulled the blanket over himself again and gave an order to leave.
Pulsseok—
“There will be no more business, so please leave.”
“……”
“Dong-il, you should also go and find your next job. You have to make a living, don’t you?”
“Father…”
Dong-il trailed off in a pitiful tone.
Despite Dong-il’s words, the blacksmith, who was still hiding under the blanket, did not say anything more.
In that situation, I shook my head once and said to Dong-il.
“…It would be better to leave for now.”
“Huu.”
As I said that, Dong-il nodded his head as if he agreed.
Deureureuk—
I opened the door and came out to the blacksmith’s shop with Dong-il.
As we came out of the single room where the blacksmith was staying, the first thing Dong-il said was as if he was apologizing.
“…I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“In the end, even though you came all this way, you have to go back without any results.”
“……”
“Please just take the 30 silver coins. Since things have turned out this way, my conscience is pricking me to just swallow the purse.”
‘He’s a very kind person. Normally, he wouldn’t have offered to return the silver coins and would have just kept his mouth shut.’
It was at that moment when I was thinking that.
It was that moment.
As I was contemplating what to do next, I soon felt the presence of people approaching from all directions.
Thud, thud—
As I clearly felt the presence of strong men walking into the blacksmith’s shop from outside, Dong-il, who seemed to have noticed it right away, widened his eyes.
“T-These people are…?!”
“…Who is it this time?”
“Y-You should go back quickly! T-Those guys are here again…!”
“……?”
Kwang!
At that moment, the door of the blacksmith’s shop was shattered.
BANG—!!!
The sound of splintered wood scattering in all directions echoed.
And what was revealed was a group of third-rate ruffians with somewhat familiar faces.
For some reason, I had a feeling that I had seen them before.
‘…What is it? I think there was an incident before.’
At that moment when I was trying to recall the old memories, the blacksmith, who was lying in the single room inside, seemed to have noticed the situation where the door of the blacksmith’s shop was shattered and the ruffians had invaded.
“What kind of bastards are you to cause such a commotion in my house…!”
Dong-il’s father shouted in a rage as he opened the door.
However, the appearance of the strong men who soon appeared was a heavy burden even for the stubborn blacksmith.
Swish—
The third-rate ruffians who had finally entered the blacksmith’s shop began to approach slowly with a sneer as if they were dumbfounded.
“Hey, old man. Is it enough to borrow money for drinks and then keep your mouth shut and stay in your house? You should have known your place and borrowed money.”
“……! Y-You are!”
“The debt collectors have come to collect the money you owe, old man.”
Kwang—!
It was a group of ruffians who began to kick the tools and chairs scattered around with great force.
Despite the rampage of the villains, the blacksmith could not resist or fight back.
He could only repeatedly ask them to stop in a helpless voice.
“P-Please stop…! I beg you…!”
“What a ridiculous thing to say. If you were going to do that, why did you borrow money from the ruffians? In the end, didn’t you expect your house to be destroyed like this. You stubborn old man?”
“Keuheuk!”
Peok—!
The blacksmith was kicked by the third-rate ruffians.
At that, as if his eyes had finally turned, Dong-il, who was at a loss for what to do, rushed at them in anger.
“How dare you touch my father…!”
“What is this…?”
Hwak—
It was Dong-il who was rushing in quickly, but the opponent, who was still watching Dong-il’s clumsy charge with a tilted head, lightly struck Dong-il with his knee.
Peok!
Dong-il’s chin was strongly hit.
“K-Keoheok…!”
“Don’t mess around, Dong-il. Do you know how much we’ve endured after you didn’t pay back the money?”
“That’s because you guys threatened me to borrow it… keoheok…!”
Thwack! Whack! Crash!
The gang of thugs continued beating Dong-il relentlessly.
As I was carefully watching the beating of the ruffians, I finally opened my mouth in the corner.
“…Now I understand.”
“Who are you?”
“You, were you Byeok Mu-bu of the Slaughter Gate? Anyway, you’re the punk who was acting up at the inn, saying you would avenge your brothers.”
“You…?!”
Swish—
I slowly raised my upper body, which had been leaning against the wall.
I was inwardly dumbfounded.
‘They were the third-rate ruffians who were harassing the woman at the next table when I was trying to spend a night in Soyang County with Myeong-ryong-geom about a year ago. I remember hitting them hard when my life was threatened by the Young Lady, but were they still causing trouble around here.’
Ha—
I let out a breath and slowly began to draw the sword at my waist.
Seureureung—
At that, as if he had noticed something unusual, Byeok Mu-bu, who was continuing to beat Dong-il, looked at me and his eyes widened.
“What…?!“
“I let you go once, but I told you there wouldn’t be a second time.”
I swung Falling Star horizontally.
Seogeok—
At that, Falling Star, which was faintly imbued with sword qi, cried out once and then a qi wave was emitted and began to fly.
Puwak—
The third-rate ruffians, whose necks were cut, let out a final scream.
“Eok…!”
“Keok…?”
Their screams did not even last to the end, and they gave up their necks.
A fountain of blood gushed out.
As I was quietly watching the scene, I smiled bitterly.
And then I asked Dong-il, who was lying on the floor with a swollen face.
“Are you okay?”
“Keueuk… w-what happened… heok?!”
Dong-il, who had lowered his head and covered his head with his arms, finally looked around and was so startled that he fainted.
Dong-il and the blacksmith, who were staring blankly at the scene of the ruffians who were tormenting them having their necks cut off with a single sword, turned their gaze towards me.
As I was feeling their gazes, I shook my head and said.
“Since things have already turned out this way, I’ll speak frankly.”
“……!”
“As you may have already noticed, I think your son still has a lot of lingering attachment to the blacksmith’s shop, don’t you feel sorry for him? I know that you fell into a drunken stupor after your wife died and fell ill with a broken heart, but aren’t you sorry for your only son who is working hard to support you.”
“……”
“Moreover, this guy even swallowed his pride and got beaten up to do a job that doesn’t even suit him, while you are planning to spend your whole life in a tiny two-room shack, without even facing reality.”
“Keuk…”
“Please, I beg you, come to your senses and turn your whole heart to your son now.”
As I said that, the blacksmith lowered his head as if he had no face to show.
Dong-il was looking at his father with a look of complicated feelings.
As I was looking at the father and son, I let out a long sigh and opened my mouth.
“I’ll come back in a few days.”
“……”
“On that day, please greet me with a changed appearance. I don’t want to go through trouble like today anymore.”
Swish—
After saying that, I walked out.
Then I realized something and said to Dong-il.
“Oh, and the cleaning fee for what happened today will be covered by that silver purse.”
“…Ah.”
“Anyway… I’ll come back later. Don’t worry about the aftermath. In the first place, the Slaughter Gate is just a faction… no, a group of ruffians where that guy Byeok Mubu is the leader, so there won’t be any particular trouble.”
Hwoong—
After finishing what I had to say, I began to walk towards Mount Hua.
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I finally returned to Mount Hua.
…I had only just returned.
“……?”
‘Why is it so quiet?’
Paat—
I quickly used my lightness skill to reach the peak of the mountain next to Mount Hua, where I could look down on the sect, and I tilted my head.
Usually, there was no day when smoke did not rise from the chimney, and the atmosphere of the sect was always bustling, but strangely, there were few people in Mount Hua.
“Did something happen?”
Still, there was no information that had come in advance by carrier pigeon.
So I moved into Mount Hua with a slight question.
Kiiik—
A disciple of a low rank who was on guard duty was sleeping with his back against the wall, snoring.
I opened the gate as much as possible without touching the guy and entered inside.
‘Hmm. Still, since it’s the day I’m returning to the sect, the elders and the sect leader should be around…’
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