Bandits Come Visiting (2)

I pondered what to stock in the newly expanded space, giving the convenience store a quick once-over. This little shop only had ramen, fresh produce, snacks, drinks, ice cream, and a meager selection of daily necessities right now. Back in ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the modern world, it had been a tiny store in a remote spot with hardly any customers, which was why I'd applied for the part-time gig. Naturally, the variety of goods was limited compared to bigger places.

What did Murim folk need right away? Thinking about their needs brought a flood of ideas. With all sorts of people around, their requirements varied wildly. I mulled it over for a while, but nothing brilliant came to mind. So I switched gears—forget what Murim people needed; let's fill in what the convenience store was missing.

We had plenty of food options already. The current lineup was so popular there was no room for fancier stuff. What were we short on? Then it hit me: daily necessities.

The store had a tiny corner for them now, stocked with stuff like painkillers, phone chargers, and batteries—random junk. No one here had phones, so chargers were useless. No gadgets either, so batteries gathered dust. Yeah. The new ten-pyeong space needed proper daily goods.

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Decision made, I hit the ordering button on the POS terminal.

A ton of options popped up. Since Hwa-yeon and I both needed a change of clothes, I figured I'd order the Snug-Fit Men's Drawers and Soft Cotton Women's Panties for starters.

I punched in 10 for incoming stock on each and hit order. The screen flashed:

Followed immediately by:

No shelves for the new goods, apparently. Lucky for me, the ordering menu had convenience store shelving too—for five silver ingots a pop. Gritting my teeth, I bought it.

Clank-clank. In the empty ten-pyeong space, shelves started assembling themselves, stack by stack. No manual labor needed. One click and everything fell into place. This POS was a game-changer. For the first time, I really felt like the store manager—high on the thrill—when the new shelves filled up with the ordered underwear, neatly arranged.

"Storekeeper, you're truly... such a strange man."

Yoo Hwa-yeon approached, ramen broth smeared around her mouth, and said it. Lately, I'd been hearing that a lot. Nah, she was right—I was weird. I tore off a sheet of tissue and handed it over.

"Wipe your mouth."

"Thanks, storekeeper. But what's this?"

"Tissue. Tissue."

"Tiss...ue? Who has enough money to use paper like this?!"

Paper was precious in Murim, sure, but I couldn't mark it up—the convenience store had fixed prices. One of its ironclad rules. Even with a stash of valuables from this era, getting filthy rich wasn't that easy.

With daily goods in, maybe we could ditch these grubby clothes? Then—crash! Bang! Something shattered outside the store.

My gut screamed: Another table smashed.

"Kahahaha! Starting a business without our permission?! What balls!!"

A booming roar shook the trees. The voice was so loud, it pierced the closed door like he was shouting right next to us.

"What the—?"

"Sounds like... they smashed it again."

"Daring to wreck my inn...! Let's see those bastards' faces."

Yoo Hwa-yeon snarled, half-drawing the sword at her waist. Technically, it wasn't your inn, Hwa-yeon... We stepped out together.

I'd thrown open the door without a second thought, trusting her swordsmanship. But facing three hulking brutes up close? Fear I'd forgotten suddenly reared up.

"A woman? You the owner of this dump?"

"Hey, you brain-dead fuckers! Smashing other people's stuff? You wanna die?!"

Yoo Hwa-yeon put on her fiercest glare and bellowed, but the trio just smirked at each other.

"Hah! What'd the little bitch just say?"

The caterpillar-eyebrow thug laughed in disbelief.

"There's crazy bitches everywhere, bro."

The small-eyed, jutting-cheekbone guy deadpanned.

"Mantis trying to stop a chariot. Heh!"

The pockmarked-faced one quipped shortly.

While they dismissed her, I stepped forward. I'd planned to stay back, but they'd paid off their debt and still trashed the place—how could I not be pissed?!

"Who the hell are you to smash our stuff?"

My legs shook, but I said my piece.

"Us? Well..."

Caterpillar-eyebrows slammed his iron mace into the ground.

"I'm Han-sik."

Small-eyes-and-jowls followed suit.

"I'm Du-sik."

Pockmark finished.

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"I'm Sam-sik."

"We're the Three Brothers of the Great Green Forest Seven Villages—the 'Han-Du-Sam-sik' who make crying kids shut up!"

...Big intro for such shitty names.

"You just thought our names suck, didn't you?"

"N-no, not at all."

"Dissing the village leader's gift! Words won't cut it, bro Han-sik."

"Right, Sam-sik. Bandits speak with fists, not words. Let's smash 'em good!"

He raised his mace high! The store was doomed—then.

"You muscle-headed bandits yapping like you own the place? This is somewhere no one touches."

Yoo Hwa-yeon stepped forward, warning.

"Back off and it'll end nice..."

"Kahahaha! Some greenhorn bitch—"

Sam-sik swung his mace at her—

Thwack! Her flawless footwork flowed into a perfect strike. Perfect energy burst. Her fist sank into his solar plexus, sending him tumbling far away.

Seeing the brute fly, Han-sik and Du-sik snapped into combat stance.

"You bitch! Time for a lesson!"

Du-sik's mace arced down at her head. But—boom! It cratered empty ground. Flowing Water Swift Step. Her form blurred, reappearing behind him.

"Hup!"

True to my request, she held back—prime position to slash, but she just pommel-smashed his skull.

"Grrgh! You dare—!"

Du-sik whirled wildly. The wind shear scattered the remaining plastic tables like paper.

"Where you swinging, huh? I'm here!"

Yoo Hwa-yeon taunted from twenty paces away, buying distance to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠protect the store.

Han-sik charged like a wild boar—crude steps, but bone-crushing power if it connected.

"Kahaha! Dodge this too!"

He leaped, mace plummeting. Clang!! She drew and parried—but

"Nngh!!"

No frail woman could tank that head-on, superior arts or not. And tumbling Sam-sik rejoined—three-on-one. Guarding the store and fending them off? Panic crossed her face. She'd handled Black Eagle Gang fine, but these crude giants? She was pulling punches to spare the store.

'What do I do? Gotta help...'

Protecting the store mattered, but more than that, I didn't want her hurt. Guess I'd grown attached. What could I do? No martial arts, so jumping in was suicide. Fetching a warrior? Mid-tier. Best option?

What could the store manager do? I watched the brutal fight. Haste makes waste—I couldn't fight, so backup it was. Eyes peeled for an opening.

Then—'Huh?'

Years of wuxia novels honed my instincts. Thankfully, Murim Journey's author was a descriptive wizard—text painted pictures like comics. So I spotted it: the bandits' movements were off. Unnatural.

But that alone wouldn't help. I couldn't exploit it. Why, though? They'd trained— that mace swing showed strength. No need for awkward stumbles. Like something itched.

Staring hard, I saw it: their leather pants, tanned rough. Down there... Oh. Um. Ah. Fuck.

No underwear.

Oof. My eyes! Raw leather chafes delicate skin—that's why undies exist. But these guys... Fighting enemies and inner thigh burn.

And I had the fix.

"Waaaait!!!"

My yell echoed through the eerie bamboo grove. The trio halted mid-charge on Hwa-yeon; she stared too.

"Fight all you want, but hear this one thing!"

Goblin briefs are tough. They stink, but goblin-lookin' bandit uncles—I'd show you a new world.

I brandished the Snug-Fit Men's Drawers like a flag. Navy fabric stretched and snapped back in my hands.

"Those pants chafing?"

"What kinda bullshit is that?"

"Wanna die?"

"Think that rag blocks my mace...?"

I hurled them—perfect face-plant on Han-sik, size 100!

He grabbed the landed drawers, feeling them up. Soft, right?

"Special sale! Buy two, get one free! Wear 'em and your footwork flows smoother— one step feels like two!"

The three oafs gawked. Hwa-yeon too, face screaming What the hell?

Just wait, Hwa-yeon. No one's tried 'em once and quit.

"Try 'em on!"

I bellowed confidently.