Chapter 36
Chapter 36
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 36
Chapter Title: From Now On, My Life Belongs Solely to the Great Hero
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Rest assured, Leader.
After receiving repeated thanks from the Hao Sect Leader, I started heading downstairs, only to hear someone climbing the stairs.
I glanced down discreetly to see who it was...
“Leader!”
“Big brother!”
...It was none other than Mun-seok and the youngest.
The moment our eyes met, Mun-seok rushed to the Hao Sect Leader while the youngest ran to me.
“Leader! What happened to you?!”
“Big brother! Are you alright?”
I stroked the youngest's head, his face full of worry, and said,
“The boss's arrowhead poison frog was handled nicely on our end. How about yours?”
Mun-seok, who had been checking the Hao Sect Leader's condition, answered my question.
“There were some sacrifices, but thanks to you taking out the Poison Horn Leader, we were able to subdue them more easily. But did you really finish off that elder...?”
Mun-seok's face showed utter disbelief. Not surprising, really.
I managed it, but if it had been anyone else, even an absolute master wouldn't have killed that elder easily.
Even if they did manage to kill him after a grueling fight, they wouldn't have a single unscathed spot on their body.
So, coming out unscathed after dealing with him? Yeah, it's hard to believe.
But...
“I finished him off for good.”
“......”
Even if he couldn't trust me, he trusted the Hao Sect Leader. When she confirmed it, Mun-seok's expression began to crumble.
“...Leader. That means...”
“I cut him down. Ended all that bad blood with him.”
“Aah...”
Thud.
Not just his expression—his whole body gave out. Mun-seok collapsed right there on the spot. Tears streamed down his face.
“Congratulations..., Leader. Finally..., finally...”
Mun-seok sobbed as he gently caressed the Hao Sect Leader's feet.
I'd heard Mun-seok owed her a debt of gratitude, but their bond must run deep. How else could he make a face like that?
“The Sichuan Branch Leader has been through a lot.”
The Hao Sect Leader patted the Sichuan Branch Leader's shoulder with a bright smile. Then she looked up at me...
“...I have much to discuss with the Great Hero. Rest up for now, and we'll talk later.”
“Hm?”
...The Hao Sect Leader was gazing at me with eyes even more tender than those she gave Mun-seok.
**
“Youngest, you're really okay, right?”
“Yeah, I dodged all their throwing knives and hidden weapons. No problem.”
After fighting poison users, it's crucial to check your body. If any scratches got poisoned, it'd be a disaster.
Thanks to the Hao Sect Leader's consideration, we returned to our original guest room and inspected ourselves.
I'd already purged the poison qi, so I was fine. The youngest...
“...You're good.”
“See? Hehe.”
...There were no signs of poisoning at all.
A few shallow cuts and grazes, but no poison seems to have gotten in.
Relieved that the youngest was safe, I flopped down flat.
“Agh..., so tiring..., so tiring...”
“Was it rough?”
“Of course it was. It wasn't just anyone—it was the Tang Family elder from Sichuan...”
Especially since he was such a tricky opponent...
But it wasn't without rewards.
Rustle.
I pulled out the ring from the Hao Sect Leader that I'd quickly pocketed earlier, along with the paper stamped with her seal.
“Big brother..., that's...”
“Hm..., what to call this...”
A sour grape?
What she'd given me clearly held incalculable value, beyond words.
If I showed it to anyone with a decent position in the Hao Sect, they'd hand over their liver and gall bladder—everything they had.
Even if I demanded all the money and banknotes they managed, they'd fork it over.
But...
“...Eating this would definitely give me indigestion.”
Its value was far too great for a mere bandit boss like me.
This was like a genie's lamp with infinite uses—I could control the entire Hao Sect through it.
However...
‘The traces it leaves are the problem...’
The martial world has eyes and ears everywhere. If I started pulling strings in the Hao Sect, word about me—the shadowy figure behind it—would eventually leak out.
For someone like me who wants to stay unknown, that'd be the worst thing possible.
“Whew...”
What good is something precious if I'm afraid to use it? Might as well not have it...
‘For now, I'll keep it as insurance for emergencies...’
With that thought, I tucked it safely away in my bosom.
Then...
Knock knock.
“Sorry to interrupt your rest. Mind if I come in?”
“Come in.”
Mun-seok knocked on our door and cautiously opened it.
He bowed his head deeply, as if facing a benefactor. Helping the Hao Sect Leader must have meant the world to him.
Of course, he wasn't using formal speech with me despite the courtesy— we'd spent enough time together, and I preferred the casual talk anyway.
“The Leader wishes to see you. Is that alright?”
“Yeah, sure. I had something to say anyway.”
She was the only one who'd seen me take down the Tang elder. The only one who'd witnessed my martial arts...
I planned to remind her to keep her mouth shut. I was already thinking of going back to her, so when she called first, I got up right away.
I told the youngest to wait a bit and followed Mun-seok. The Hao Sect Leader's room was at the top of the Blue Moon Pavilion, so we climbed many stairs, giving us a brief moment.
Seizing that moment, Mun-seok said to me,
“I've said it a million times already, but let me thank you once more.”
“......”
“The luckiest moment of my life might just be meeting you on the street a few years ago.”
His words brought back the moment I met Mun-seok. He'd shown me a small kindness then.
That was when my body was at its weakest, so maybe that's why his little act of compassion stuck with me.
“All karma, that's what.”
“Karma?”
“You're not a bad guy, Uncle, so you met me and all this happened. Our meeting wasn't just coincidence.”
“...That's pretty Buddhist of you.”
“I used to believe in Buddha a bit.”
In my past life, that is.
I went to temples with my parents on weekends and did some temple stays.
Tap.
“...?”
Finally reaching the Hao Sect Leader's door, Mun-seok turned around instead of opening it and placed a hand on my shoulder.
“I've known for a while you're a good man.”
“What's with the sudden nonsense, Mun-seok? You're way too high on the vibes today.”
I'd tossed out a joke since he'd been trying to create this warm atmosphere, but Mun-seok steadfastly continued.
“But from here on, that's a separate matter.”
“...What are you suddenly talking about?”
“The Leader's had a lifetime of pain.... Please make her happy.”
“...What?”
Make the Hao Sect Leader happy...? Why tell me that...?
“Then I'll be going.”
“W-wait, Uncle! What the hell was that?!”
I tried to ask why he was saying this out of nowhere, but he dodged the question and headed straight down.
Staring at his receding back, I reluctantly opened the Hao Sect Leader's door with a heavy heart.
Creak.
“You're here.”
As I opened the door, the Hao Sect Leader's welcoming voice greeted me. And...
“......”
I could tell the atmosphere was different from before.
**
For the past week, I'd been coming and going from the Hao Sect Leader's room at night to play the geomungo. So, her room felt quite familiar.
But today was different.
The first thing that caught my eye was the wine table. Not too many dishes, but anyone could see they were premium accompaniments, and the bottles carried the fragrance of aged liquor.
Fine, up to here it's good. After wrapping up a big job, knocking back a drink sounds great to me.
But...
‘Damn, why the hell is that there?’
A white veil fluttering right in front of me.
Behind the translucent barrier, I could make out the Hao Sect Leader's silhouette, but not her clearly.
No, what is this? It's not like we're newlyweds or something...
Feeling uneasy, I sat at the wine table, and the Hao Sect Leader spoke.
“I trust you've kept safe what I gave you.”
“Oh, yeah.”
She must mean her ring and the paper with her seal. It's safely in my bosom right now.
‘No way she's taking it back now...?’
It didn't feel like that vibe, so I decided to wait for her to continue.
“As you know, the Hao Sect is a coalition of numerous independent organizations. But this could become a giant hand ruling the Hao Sect.”
“Yeah, I know it's too much for me. But taking back what you've already given...”
“No, that's not what I mean.”
Swish.
With that, Dang Wol-hwa stepped out from behind the veil, slowly revealing herself.
“......”
Seeing her, I couldn't continue for a moment.
And for good reason...
She was wearing clothes even thinner than that translucent veil.
With each step she took, the sheer fabric fluttered, messing with my mind.
“I can't repay the favor with just my ring and seal. You've given me a new life, after all.”
“Uh, uh..., you mean...”
With a trembling heart, I cautiously lifted my head to check her expression.
Whoosh.
Even she, who always wore a composed look, was blushing beet red in this situation—clearly embarrassed. Seeing someone who suited this so perfectly acting all green made my heart pound even harder.
She fidgeted with her lips for a bit before steeling herself and speaking to me.
“You've given me a new life, so from now on, my life belongs solely to you, Great Hero. So I'll give you everything. My body..., my heart..., my chastity..., my virginity...”
“......”
“If you wish, even the depths of my soul—all of it.”