Chapter 46: In the Human World, April's Fragrance Ends (17)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 46: In the Human World, April's Fragrance Ends (17)
Lee Yu-baek asked cautiously, “Did I offend you?”
Hang In-woo only continued to smile.
Lee Yu-baek grew flustered. “Look, I’m sorry. What I said earlier about showing me the elixir—that was a joke. Just a joke. Your elixir is obviously yours. How could I ever think of taking it? And I really didn't bring those people with me. I told them not to follow, but they insisted. I couldn't help it.”
“……”
Hang In-woo didn’t answer.
Trickle, trickle—
Instead, he filled Lee Yu-baek’s cup to the very brim. Filling a cup to the top was a sign of deep affection, but he filled it so completely that a single drop more would have caused it to overflow.
He filled his own cup to a more moderate level, drained it in one gulp, and toyed with the empty vessel for a moment before finally speaking.
“Elder Brother. This is what I can’t stand. Honestly, I think the world of you, but sometimes it feels like you treat me with such utter carelessness.”
Hang In-woo was still smiling, but his voice was laced with thorns.
Lee Yu-baek was taken aback, but he figured Hang In-woo had every right to be upset. “No, that’s not it. I never treat you carelessly. I’m sorry I made you feel that way. Truly. I’ve never looked down on you.”
“No. Let’s be honest, that’s a lie. You killed Seo Mu-ryang without saying a single word to me. Wasn’t that a complete disregard for my honor?”
“That… I’m sorry. But I had no choice.”
“You had no choice…”
Hang In-woo drained his cup again. He moved to pour more for Lee Yu-baek.
Lee Yu-baek skillfully lifted the overflowing cup and emptied it in one go without spilling a drop. Hang In-woo refilled it immediately, once again to the very brim, right to the point of surface tension.
“Fine. I can accept that. Maybe you had to kill Seo Mu-ryang. It’s not like he was a good man. But still. When you saw me afterward, couldn’t you have at least offered a token apology?”
Lee Yu-baek closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them and drained the full cup in a single motion, again without spilling. “...You’re right. That was my mistake. I’m sorry. I should have apologized sooner.”
“But then I heard something else. About the feast at your place last time.” Hang In-woo let out a sharp huff of air through his nose. “I heard what some bastard said. What was it? ‘If it weren’t for Lee Yu-baek, Hang In-woo would have died long ago. He would have scraped by his whole life as a second-rate martial artist.’ Is that what they said?”
“That’s…!”
“And I heard you didn’t say a single word to stop them. My own martial nephews were there, and they all stayed silent too. Was it all right with you that your younger brother, their martial uncle, was being insulted like that? Why? Is that what you all secretly think of me? Huh?”
Hang In-woo’s eyes were gleaming now. A heavy weight settled in Lee Yu-baek’s chest.
“Elder Brother. I was this hurt. But I tried not to show it. I wanted to invite you today, have a pleasant drink, give you the elixir, and leave it at that. But what is this? Bringing spectators to pressure me into handing it over? Isn’t that going too far?”
“In-woo, that’s not it…”
“You’ve always been like this, Elder Brother. Calling me Golgol, treating me like a dog.”
“That’s…!”
“I get it. In your eyes, I’m just the Hang In-woo you saved, the Hang In-woo you raised. An incompetent who couldn’t have done anything on his own. I must have seemed so pathetic to you.”
“In-woo.”
Thud!
Lee Yu-baek slammed his cup down on the table. “You’ve gone too far.”
Hang In-woo shrugged with exaggerated slowness. “Oh, I’m so scared. The number one expert of Xinxing is threatening me.”
“In-woo!”
“Elder Brother. In that case, I have a favor to ask.”
Swoosh.
A gust of wind blew past, showering red oleander petals down outside the tent. The valley wind was unseasonably cool, raising goosebumps on their skin.
“If you truly don’t look down on me, then grant me this one favor. If you do, I’ll forget everything. I’ll even get on my knees and apologize for my insolence.”
“...What is it?”
“Let’s not attack Mount Cheonro.”
“What?” Lee Yu-baek’s eyes widened as if he’d been struck by a hammer.
“You heard me. Don’t make me repeat it. Let’s not attack Mount Cheonro. I heard that new experts have joined them recently—a group exiled from the Green Woods Eighteen Strongholds, no less. There are even rumors of a Peak Realm expert among them. I don’t have the confidence to fight a force like that.”
“...In-woo, you know as well as I do. It might be difficult, but we can still win. All of Guangdong Province is—!”
“We might win! Sure!”
CRACK!
This time, it was Hang In-woo who slammed his fist on the table. A faint crack appeared in the center of the wood, though it didn’t collapse; he had controlled his strength at the last moment.
“But even if we win, there will be casualties! I have no idea how many of my own men I’ll lose. And you want us to fight that battle? Us? Why?”
“...Because innocent people are dying and suffering.”
“Exactly! Why is that our problem?” Hang In-woo let out a deep sigh. “What is wrong with you, Elder Brother? Have the Mount Cheonro bandits ever done anything to you? Have they done a single bad thing to us? No! In fact, they’re good for business. Because they exist, people rely on us and offer us their money. Isn’t that right?”
Lee Yu-baek stared at Hang In-woo. The bewilderment in his eyes had vanished, replaced by a cool, clear gaze.
“I was wondering why you were being so petty,” Lee Yu-baek said, his voice dropping an octave. “Was this your plan all along?”
“There you go again, calling me petty. You really think I’m a joke, don’t you?”
“You bastard. Get a grip. You’re a grown man, not some whining child.”
“……”
Hang In-woo’s face flushed a deep crimson.
“In-woo, if I thought you were a joke, would I have risked my life to save you? Would I have fed you that expensive elixir to heal your internal injuries and boost your energy? Would I have spent years personally overseeing every step of your martial arts training?”
“Who asked you to do all that? You did it because you wanted to, because it made you feel superior!”
“What?”
“Stop lording the past over me and just answer the question. Mount Cheonro. Let’s not attack. Please? Your younger brother is begging you. I’ll even get on my knees if that’s what it takes.”
Lee Yu-baek gritted his teeth. “I can’t do that. Those who deserve to die must die. And the men of Mount Cheonro deserve to die.”
“But why?!”
“Because just thinking about those bastards ruins the taste of my drink. It makes me feel fucking disgusted.”
“Ha!” Hang In-woo grabbed the entire bottle and began chugging it down. “You know, in a way, I am grateful to you, Elder Brother. I’ve grown very fond of you. I could even give my life for you. We’re men who’ve traded our lives for each other, aren’t we? But you know what? I won’t do the same for complete strangers.”
“Then you can stay out of it.”
“Look at that. Just look at those eyes, looking at me like I’m some kind of materialistic scum. You’re always the righteous one, aren’t you, Elder Brother? I’m always the one who’s wrong. I’m the trash, right?”
“What do you want from me, then?”
Hooo…
Hang In-woo sighed heavily and drained the rest of the bottle. “Elder Brother, do you have any idea how much I’ve suppressed my own nature for you? If I’ve made this much of an effort, shouldn’t there be a time when you take a single step back for me?”
Lee Yu-baek looked up at the sky, a complex light flickering in his eyes. He reached into his robes, took something out, and tossed it into his mouth. He hesitated for a long moment before asking a question in a flat, hollow tone.
“In-woo. Are you… in bed with the Mount Cheonro bandits? Is that why you’re doing this?”
Their eyes met, and sparks seemed to fly between them. Finally, Hang In-woo twisted his lips into a smirk.
“Why? Is that not allowed?”
“You…”
“Think about it, Elder Brother. If I work with Mount Cheonro, I can stack up chests of gold every year. And I’m not allowed to do that? Why? Because the great Lee Yu-baek, the hero of Xinxing, doesn’t wish it?”
“You crazy bastard. Because of Mount Cheonro, so many people are suffering—”
“Exactly! Why the hell should I care about that?!”
CRASH!
Hang In-woo’s fist finally shattered the table. Bottles and cups went tumbling to the ground.
Sparks flew from Lee Yu-baek’s eyes as well. “Because I am the kind of person who cares about such things!” he snarled, his voice a low growl. “And isn’t that why you’re alive, too? Even when everyone else called me a fool, I saved you. I taught you. Isn’t that why you’re strutting around as a first-rate martial artist now? If you’ve received that much, you should know how to give back!”
“Ha! Anyone would think I became a first-rate martial artist for free, without ever risking my life! Are you saying everything I’ve achieved is all thanks to you?”
“Don’t twist my words.”
“I’m stating a fact!”
They glared at each other in a suffocating silence. Finally, Lee Yu-baek forced the words out, his throat feeling tight and constricted.
“...So. What was your role? Was it the Dream Soul Powder? I thought it was strange. I wondered where they were getting so much of it.”
“Acting like you’re quick on the uptake now just makes you look pathetic. Sure. I handled the Dream Soul Powder. And a lot of other things, too.”
“How could you…”
Hang In-woo bared his teeth. “Do you regret it? If you’d known I was this kind of person, would you have left me to die? Wow. That’s a relief. I’m glad I put on such a desperate act and hid the evidence. Thanks to that, I’m alive, aren’t I? I even became a first-rate martial artist.”
“In-woo…”
“Elder Brother. By the way, I’ve repaid the debt I owe you. I risked my life to save you, too. So, I don’t know what you think, but logically speaking, there are no more debts between us.”
Before they knew it, the White Dragon Gang warriors had surrounded them. The men who had seemed to be preparing food and drinks now held weapons, their faces dark and menacing. There were over sixty of them.
On the other side stood only Lee Yu-baek and his three disciples.
“Elder Brother. I really, really didn’t want it to come to this. Even though you screwed me over multiple times, it’s a fact that you saved my life. I was grateful. I really didn’t want this. But if you’re hell-bent on destroying Mount Cheonro, what am I supposed to do? My own sworn brother is trying to cut off my livelihood. What choice do I have?”
“So… you’re going to kill me?” Lee Yu-baek’s voice trembled at the end. “You… are going to…?”
“Don’t look at me like that. You were the one who tried to kill me first. For the sake of total strangers, you were the one who stabbed me in the back!”
Over sixty men of the White Dragon Gang against four. The situation was clearly desperate.
Just then—
Fwheee—!
Kang Mu-hyeok let out a sharp, piercing whistle.
Fwip-fwip-fwip!
The sound of rustling clothes filled the air. Cries of alarm erupted from the White Dragon Gang warriors.
“Huh?”
“What are they—!”
From down in the valley, the inner disciples of the Pungryu Martial Arts Hall came rushing up, leaping from tree to tree with practiced ease.
“You… you mobilized the inner disciples?” Hang In-woo’s face contorted.
Lee Yu-baek looked slightly surprised, but Kang Mu-hyeok spoke up immediately.
“Master. My apologies. I took the liberty of making these preparations in case of any unfortunate incidents. But since things have come to this…”
Screee—!
He rose to his feet, drawing his sword.
Ch-chaeng!
The squad leaders of the White Dragon Gang also stood in unison, drawing their blades. The two groups faced off, weapons brandished. Only Hang In-woo and Lee Yu-baek remained seated, locked in a lethal stare.
Lee Yu-baek’s first disciple, Kang Mu-hyeok, pointed his sword at Hang In-woo. “Martial Uncle. No—Hang In-woo. Let’s settle this today. We’ll see which is stronger: our Pungryu Martial Arts Hall or your White Dragon Gang.”
Hang In-woo’s lips twisted into a snarl. Without taking his eyes off Lee Yu-baek, he said, “Mu-hyeok. I’ve always hated you. You resemble the most dog-like parts of our Elder Brother.”
His hand slid slowly toward the broadsword at his waist.
“Don’t draw it,” Lee Yu-baek warned in a low, dangerous voice. “You’ll die.”
Hang In-woo flashed a wide, toothy grin. “Try me.”
Screeeng!
The moment his broadsword cleared the scabbard—
Piiit—!
In the next instant, Lee Yu-baek's sword, drawn faster than the eye could follow, shot forward.