Clear of the False Charge
"Was he here?"
"Huh?"
Sumi looked at me with a bewildered expression, as if she didn’t quite understand.
My condition wasn’t bad.
My meridians were still only partially open, and some internal injuries remained, but this was the best I’d felt since taking over this body.
No sooner had I finished speaking than Chiri burst through the door in a panic.
"Sojin-nim! It’s just that…"
"Let’s go."
I didn’t even need to hear the rest.
I already knew.
By the time we made our way down to Baekhwaru, Majin was greeting me with a courteous smile, almost fawningly polite.
Remembering what had happened yesterday, it was almost laughable how obedient he looked.
"Welcome, sir."
A delay tactic.
But it was far more efficient than wasting time trying to sort them out one by one.
I still had to go to Jeongdo Academy, and I needed to get my body back in shape.
Unable to even meet my eyes, he bowed his head with a cringing expression.
"Bring me the alcohol."
"Right away."
I strode up to the second floor and took a seat.
Majin followed silently and sat across from me.
"Sir, did you happen to stumble onto some incredible chance? I honestly can’t tell when you got this strong."
As he filled my cup, I said, "Drink first."
"Yes, sir."
"Where’s Menma?"
"She’ll be here soon."
I watched him knock back his drink, then lifted my own cup.
"Majin, there’s a time for everything. Why do you think I spared you and sent you back?"
"T-that… Surely you spared me out of old affection, sir? I’m sorry… I can only be grateful for your great mercy."
And this was the bastard plotting behind my back?
He was first-rate at playing the humble worm.
That pathetic expression, too—if anyone who didn’t know better saw him, they’d absolutely fall for it.
"Sir, you are a hero greater than any man under heaven!"
I searched my memory for how Majin died in the novel.
He was just an early throwaway extra, so all I could remember was that he had been killed.
Still, one thing was certain.
Majin had clearly been a complete idiot, which was why he’d been caught and put to death.
"If you help me, I can expand my influence not only into Shaanxi, but also Sichuan and Gansu!!"
"…."
Without replying, I drained my drink.
Majin was buying time with all kinds of bullshit.
"If needed, I could even cooperate with the orthodox or unorthodox factions…."
A dry laugh escaped me naturally.
"So when are the ones waiting downstairs going to come barging in?"
"Huh? Sir, I don’t know what you’re talking about…."
"Majin, try using your brain for once. You’re still not grasping the situation, even though you’re the sharpest one around here?"
I held his gaze for a long moment.
His eyes widened as he stared back at me.
He looked completely stunned, as if he’d sold off his intelligence when he bought Baekhwaru.
Otherwise, there was no way he’d still be treating me like some addled young master.
"You knew?"
He said nothing.
His expression said it all: it wasn’t even worth answering.
"…Keh-heh-heh. Sir, you should surrender. If you do, I’ll send you off without pain, for the sake of old times."
Forcing his expression into place, Majin let out a thin, sly smile.
Life was nothing but a chain of choices.
And that meant there always came a moment when you made your final one.
For Majin, that moment was today.
"I don’t know what you’re so confident about, but with that pathetic little scrap of martial skill, you won’t be getting out of this. The one backing me is that man."
Well, whether it’s that man or your man, that’s not really my problem.
"So when are you bringing Menma?"
"Didn’t you understand a single word I just said? You’re dead now, you—"
He was the kind of idiot who couldn’t understand things after hearing them just once.
"W-wait, sir! Please, wait a moment— You bastard, let go!! I said let go!!"
Everyone was here. Time to pull out the weeds.
Crash!
I seized Majin and hurled him from the second floor straight into the main hall below.
The sight of him smashing into the wooden floor was rather memorable.
"W-What the hell?"
"Majin fell from the second floor!"
"Get the boss!"
"Draw your blades!"
Sching—
Shiiing—
All around me, the sound of blades being drawn rang out with murderous intent.
I downed the rest of my drink in one gulp and walked downstairs.
"Does this bastard even know who we are?"
"If you’d just stayed still, you might’ve lived until the boss got here. Instead, you chose the stupidest possible move."
"Stop right there. Come any closer and we’ll have no choice but to subdue you."
From the way they moved, they were men who had learned a bit of martial arts, at least enough to be dangerous.
They were so full of confidence they didn’t even bother covering their faces.
Since they’d shown themselves openly, they probably weren’t some random rabble, but…
"W-What the hell? He’s not stopping?"
That was all there was to it.
Sching—
■
Creaaak—
People with swords, axes, and all manner of weapons kicked the door open and stormed into Baekhwaru.
"Wh-why aren’t we landing a single hit… agh!"
Inside the hall, a fight to the death was already underway, and the man with the sword was Majin—while the other person was...
"Chopsticks?"
Whoosh!
Thwack!
"Master Majin!"
"Kh, ngh…!"
—me.
Majin’s body was riddled with holes, like a rag soaked through and torn apart.
I met the eyes of the man in the purple robe standing in front.
"…."
Without a word, I took the iron chopsticks and shoved them into the forehead of Majin, who was still writhing on the floor.
I had never intended to let him live in the first place.
That was the end of it.
Clap, clap, clap—
"Incredible! You brought Majin down like he was a child. But if you make me your enemy…."
"What makes you think you’re any different?"
"How insolent… Boy, I am the lord of this mountain. Someone like you…"
Before he could finish, I cut him off.
"Fine. I’m the World’s Greatest Sword. No time."
These days even bandits were going around calling themselves lords or “that man,” huh?
The Shanxi region was squarely orthodox territory, and yet even lowly mountain bandits were acting this boldly. It was proof the righteous factions were slowly losing their grip.
Most people might think that was useless information, but in truth, this was the kind that mattered most.
The eyes of the underlings around him went wide, and silence fell over the room.
"So you’re not just some ordinary lunatic. Kill him."
My provocation had clearly worked, because the boss charged at me at once.
"Die!!"
*
*
*
Bang!
When I kicked the door open and stepped out of Baekhwaru, Majin’s remaining men were waiting outside.
"He came out alone?! Where’s Majin? Where’s the boss?"
"You moron, shut up! Can’t you read the situation? Look at the blood on his clothes!"
"Even so, all those people…?"
To them, it must have seemed impossible, so they only hovered uncertainly in place.
As expected of rabble who had only ever been Majin’s lackeys, none of them could even meet my eyes, let alone hold my gaze.
A few of them quickly rushed inside to check the people lying on the floor.
"H-Holy hell! They’re all dead!!"
"They were all martial artists, and he did this alone? How does that even make sense?"
As I walked forward, the crowd parted like the sea.
In the center of the path, I slowly raised a hand.
As all eyes locked onto me and the noise died down, I said, "From this moment on, you’re all my underlings. If anyone has a problem with that, speak now."
"…."
No one opened their mouth.
"Good."
It was so quiet I couldn’t even hear their breathing.
"That’s an order. Bring me Menma."
"R-Right away."
Apparently she’d been their insurance policy, because Majin had kept her with him.
Just as they were scattering in perfect unison, someone spoke up.
"…Isn’t that bastard the Jin family idiot?"
In the silence, the voice rang out loud and clear.
Flinch.
Every gaze turned toward the man standing in the center.
I answered lightly, "That’s right. The idiot who got kicked out of the Jin family. What, do you suddenly feel brave?"
"…"
"If any of you want to keep that bastard company on the road to the underworld, step forward."
As expected, no one did.
Even with my back turned, standing there defenseless, not a single person moved.
Well, if they’d had that kind of courage, they wouldn’t be serving as Majin’s goons in the first place.
"If there’s no one, then let’s get to work."
""Yes!! Understood!"
Their voices boomed in unison, and they were practically brimming with enthusiasm.
*
*
*
After that, everything went smoothly.
The very next day, I spread the truth through the Beggars’ Sect and the Underworld Gate, and soon my innocence would be known throughout the Central Plains.
"Menma, taking your circumstances into account, I’ll spare your life."
She had been threatened with her younger sister as a hostage.
"Th-Thank you, t-thank you."
She flattened herself on the ground and trembled.
Nothing had changed.
Only the life of her younger sister had shifted—from Majin’s grasp into mine.
As I looked around, the villagers and martial artists were all watching this side.
It was, in essence, a performance for public consumption.
"Oh? So that’s the Jin family hero who drove off Majin and the boss?"
"My, he’s really handsome too."
"I don’t know much about the martial world, but if those vicious bastards are dead, life’s going to be a lot easier from now on. What were the Jin family people thinking, driving out Young Master Jin?"
"Look at how merciful he is. If they’d been orthodox or unorthodox bastards, they would’ve killed everyone connected to this without a second thought."
People in the martial world always cared about rumors.
They were the sort who loved hearing who had done what to whom.
Cheon Sojin had overlooked that fact and let it pass, but I was different.
Even though there was no Sword King here, I had started off better than Cheon Sojin ever had.
Lucky break.
The fact that Menma was still alive played a huge role.
If I’d been even a little later, I might not have been able to turn things around.
Life was a chain of choices.
The fools who chose wrong were all buried beneath the earth, while I was still alive.
"Go on."
"Y-Yes… thank you for sparing me. Truly, thank you."
As she left, Menma thanked me over and over again.
It was only a show for the crowd, but with so many eyes watching, and with the Martial Alliance’s support soon likely to arrive in the village, it was best to keep her alive for the time being.
Once enough time passed, no one would care if she were found dead in the lower reaches of the Yellow River.
"Sumi, are you sure you’re okay with a small inn like this?"
"Of course. I have nothing but gratitude."
She gave a bright little smile.
Her fresh, earnest expression was charming.
"A big tavern like Baekhwaru would’ve been too much for me to manage."
I sold off Majin, the boss’s gang, and Baekhwaru itself, then used the money to set up a small inn for Sumi and Chiri.
Their property made for a pretty decent amount of seed money.
I’d originally planned to give them Baekhwaru, but Sumi had flatly refused, so I let it go as she wished.
I always paid things back in full, whether it was a kindness or a grudge.
This was my reward for the admirable heart she’d shown when she tried to help.
I wasn’t sure whether this counted as enough compensation for Sumi, but…
I could always come by again from time to time.
Sumi fidgeted with both hands and lifted her head.
Maybe she had a fever, because her face was flushed red.
"Chiri, make sure you listen to Sumi from now on."
"Leave it to me!"
As for Chiri, I wasn’t sure she understood, but the reason she was still alive owed a great deal to Sumi.
They had lived together back when they were both vagrants, and it seemed that after all that time, Sumi had grown attached to her, because she hadn’t wanted Chiri punished.
Chiri looked positively delighted that I was leaving.
That was irritating.
"You’re leaving?"
"I have to go now."
"Where are you going?"
He said nothing.
"I’m off. Don’t catch a cold."
Sumi stood still and watched his back as he turned and walked away with such easy lightness.
She watched until he disappeared beyond the hill.
*
*
*
One night, a week after he left...
"A-Are we really doing this? What if Sojin-nim comes back…."
"You stupid bastard. Of course we kill that orphan girl first and then run. That bastard definitely left us with a huge pile of money!"
"Yeah, and think of how much cash Majin and the boss had stashed away."
"Because of that Jin family idiot, the righteous factions will be coming into this village soon. We’re running either way."
Clank, clank!
"Damn it, this lock won’t open!"
"Move aside. In times like this, you do it like this!"
Chk, creak—
"It’s open. Listen carefully. We kill the girl, grab the money, and run. Split it evenly and get out—ten men, ten shares."
"Sounds good. Let’s go in right now!!"
Bang!
Kicking the door open, the brutal-looking man swung his blade at the bed first.
Soon, a fountain of blood and a scream would follow….
Ting!
Huh? That sounded a little off.
Someone had caught the blade.
That was…
"Heh. These bastards never fail to be exactly as I expected."
##