The Dad Joke Interrogation
"Hmm... Maybe I shouldn't have gone so easy on them?" Do Gwang thought as he walked down the street holding Do Hwa's hand. He was thinking about Dang Taebo, whose limbs he had shattered, and Dang Aran, who had been blubbering on the floor.
"I did warn them it was a one-time thing..."
But there was no way in hell they'd listen. They were the type to uphold that lousy rule of theirs better than anything else: kindness repaid twofold, grudges tenfold.
"They're definitely going to be a pain in the ass."
Even in the game, once you became hostile with them, they'd swarm you like a nest of bees all the way to the ending — and even after the ending, spraying poison everywhere. Even if you wiped out the main family, remnants and branch families would keep showing up. Even veteran players with thousands of hours under their belts would avoid getting on the bad side of the Tang family if they could help it, just because it was too damn annoying.
"...But I'm not like them."
Do Gwang hadn't just fought the Tang family in the game. He'd played however he wanted, smashing and destroying everything in his path whenever he felt like it. Was he really going to start tiptoeing around and avoiding conflict in real life? Not a chance. He was the same Do Gwang who, right from the start, had bashed in the heads of those bastards he didn't like and wrecked everything else besides. There was no way he was going to start holding back now.
'No, if they hadn't picked the fight, I'm not the one who started it.'
That was true. He hadn't planned on dealing with loudmouths like Song Pyeong; he was just trying to go about his business. Men usually wanted to look good in front of women, after all.
'Well... I guess I don't really get it from my end...'
There was a saying about empty vessels making the most noise. He never really understood why people felt the need to pick fights with others or tear them down just to puff themselves up. But people were people, and the world was the world. How could he possibly understand everything? So Do Gwang had just let it slide and tried to go on his way. Seriously.
But then!
'They show up out of nowhere, acting all high and mighty, and pick a fight. Of course it pisses me off.'
Right. He couldn't hold back his fists when he saw that old bastard Dang Taebo strutting around and acting tough.
'Well, it's already over and done with.'
Do Gwang decided to stop thinking about it. If they came looking for revenge, he'd just smash them all to pieces then. Simple.
With that conclusion, Do Gwang used his free hand to ruffle Do Hwa's hair.
"Ehehe..."
Do Hwa seemed to like it, smiling brightly and innocently. Seeing that, a natural fatherly smile spread across Do Gwang's face.
'Right, our Do Hwa. Let's just get her something to eat.'
Even the most beautiful scenery is only beautiful after a meal. He wasn't sure if that was right, but a growing kid needed to eat on time.
'Looks like a quieter place would be better...'
The Murim world. This was a place where people picked fights way too often. As soon as he entered Chengdu, those idiots had started something. He wanted to find a shop with no people, but finding a place like that in this big city of Chengdu wasn't going to be easy.
He was looking around when it happened.
'Oh...'
Do Gwang's eyes landed on a small, shabby street stall set up at the entrance of a secluded alley.
"Welcome! A party of two?"
Through the steam rising from a bubbling pot, the owner, wearing an apron, smiled affably and greeted them.
"Yeah. Two of us."
Do Gwang answered briefly and led Do Hwa up to the counter. It wasn't a proper restaurant with a door to walk through. It was a humble street stall, just a long wooden table set up side-by-side so customers could sit facing the cooking owner, all under an old awning.
Do Gwang sat Do Hwa down beside him at the very end of the table. He looked over the stall's atmosphere with fairly satisfied eyes.
'Not bad.'
It was less crowded and quieter than a noisy, bustling inn. Perfect. Besides, weren't these run-down, back-alley street stalls usually the real hidden gems?
'Looks like I can eat in peace here.'
But Do Gwang's humble wish was brutally shattered barely a second after he sat down. That's because there was an uninvited guest sprawled out dramatically on the table right next to them.
"Hic... Hey, boss..."
"Yes~ Yes, sir."
The owner replied nonchalantly, wiping a bowl, as if he was used to dealing with this kind of troublesome regular. The drunkard slammed the table at the indifferent response.
"Do you know what sound Wudang Sect elders make when they fall?"
"Ahaha... Sir, you've already told that one a few times..."
"Oh? Well, I'll tell you one more time."
The drunkard staggered, propping himself up, and shouted.
"'Wudang'! They go 'Wudang'! Kuhahaha!"
He was laughing his head off all by himself. Seeing that, Do Gwang's expression hardened.
But then.
"Kyahaha~~"
Do Hwa burst into bright laughter beside him. Do Gwang's face turned pale.
'No way... my daughter... well, my kid's taste is in those garbage dad jokes?!'
But the meaning of that bright laughter wasn't amusement.
"Can I kill him?"
Do Hwa asked, radiating killing intent from her clear eyes. The drunkard jumped up at that and chimed in.
"Yeah! Don't you want to kill him?! I really want to kill him! What's so goddamn funny about knowing this crap?!"
The drunkard screamed, tearing at his hair. Only then did Do Gwang properly recognize the drunkard's face.
'Uh... This guy. It's Gwok Byeok, isn't it?'
Gwok Byeok. The head of law enforcement at the Murim Alliance's Sichuan branch. During his playthroughs, he was one of the handful of characters he saw most often. He was the one who came to investigate when Cheongseongpa tried to hand the protagonist over to the authorities along with Heukpyochae. In the game, he'd been the one to raise an issue with the late Jin Hun, who was long gone on the Yellow Spring Road by then, and negotiate to get the protagonist out.
'If I get close to this guy, it's the orthodox path... and if not, it's the unorthodox path...'
Well, that wasn't important right now. What was important was that this Gwok Byeok...
"Alright, here's the next one. What happens when Huashan Sect Taoists get caught in a fire... no, when they burn to death?"
"Sir... please, stop..."
"What? What is it?"
"They become 'Huashan-ash'! Agh!!!"
"..."
"Kyahaha~~"
...was telling dad jokes in this tiny street stall.
"Can I kill him?"
Do Hwa, who had been laughing brightly, was now shaking. The girl looked at Do Gwang with her clear eyes, begging for permission then and there. Before Do Gwang could even get a word out.
"Yeah! I really do want to kill him!!!"
Gwok Byeok was crying real tears, pounding the table.
"Hey... I don't know who you are..."
He turned his bloodshot eyes toward Do Gwang and Do Hwa.
"Hey there, young hero, young lady! Is this funny? Do you think this is fun?!"
It was a cry filled with sheer pathos and bitterness. Why was Gwok Byeok so furious and tormented?
'It must be because of his boss.'
Do Gwang thought of one person and nodded. The Sichuan branch leader, Moyong Jin. He acted strict, solemn, and serious at first, but once you got close, he'd start firing off dad jokes left and right.
'Hmm... It must be because he interrogated the guy I let live.'
He could figure it out naturally. Because of Do Gwang, the Cheongseong disciples could never arrive at Oga-hyeon. Gwok Byeok must have found it strange and gone to investigate the scene. And there, he must have thoroughly interrogated the surviving bandit. And the result of that interrogation was probably those dad jokes.
'The Murim Alliance is looking for the culprit...'
Since the only thing that bandit knew about Do Gwang was fragments of jokes, they wouldn't be able to catch his trail or anything.
'Well, it doesn't matter if they figure out it's me...'
Still, he didn't really want to fight Gwok Byeok, who was right in front of him, or Branch Leader Moyong Jin. They were characters he had some positive feelings for in the game. So he decided to just quietly order his food without acknowledging them.
But Gwok Byeok's madness didn't stop there.
"Do you know the next one? Tang family people..."
"Kyahaha~~"
Do Hwa laughed brightly.
"I'm just going to kill him!"
The girl couldn't take it anymore and tried to pull out the dagger she had in her arms. Do Gwang quickly pressed down on her wrist.
"Do Hwa, hold on."
He understood how she felt, but if they started a bloodbath here and sliced up a Murim Alliance official, they might not get to eat properly today.
"Ehh... But..."
Do Hwa pouted but obediently listened to Do Gwang. Unaware that his life had been hanging by a thread, Gwok Byeok continued.
"...Tang family people. They start acting all dizzy."
"...?"
"...?"
Question marks floated in the air around Do Gwang and Do Hwa.
"That's as far as I got!!!"
Gwok Byeok screamed, tearing at his hair.
"And he's telling me to go find out what comes next!!!"
It was a cry filled with extreme resentment!
'Ah...'
Do Gwang finally understood the situation perfectly.
'I didn't tell the bastard the next punchline.'
That's why the interrogation must have been cut off.
'Moyong Jin. That old man must be nagging him to find out.'
Just as he predicted.
"He said no at first, but then later he kept pestering me to somehow find out!"
It was clear that Gwok Byeok's wailing was entirely Moyong Jin's fault.
"I ask him, but... no, from here on, it's confidential information, so I hope you understand I can't say."
"Haha..."
The owner just gave a good-natured smile.
'If it's confidential, don't say it from the start...'
Whether he knew the owner was pointing that out in his head, Gwok Byeok kept up his drunken rambling.
"Hic... Anyway, that's why I'm saying... Wudang Sect elders..."
As Gwok Byeok was about to start looping again, Do Hwa grabbed Do Gwang's sleeve tightly.
"...Are you sure I can't just kill him?"
At this rate, a stabbing was really going to happen. He figured their chances of eating were pretty much shot.
"Haah..."
Do Gwang sighed lightly. Then he slowly opened his mouth again.
"Hey, mister, I don't know the details, but you mentioned the Tang family, right?"
"Hic...! Uh-huh...?"
"Umm... Could it be this?"
"What? You know something? Tell me quickly, young hero!"
"Haah..."
Do Gwang felt a deep sense of wretchedness at the fact that he had to say this kind of joke himself. When he was wasting those bandit bastards on the cart, he'd said it out of anger and because he thought it was a dream. Having to actually spit this out with a clear mind brought on a wave of shame.
But.
"Dad! I'm just going to kill him!"
Since Do Hwa was about to go on a stabbing spree, he had no choice but to speak up.
"Why do Tang family members suddenly stagger?"
"...!!!"
Gwok Byeok's eyes went wide at Do Gwang's question. That was because he hadn't expected much, but the setup perfectly matched the beginning of the joke! It might be the real answer!
"Yeah, why? Tell me quickly, young hero!"
"Haah..."
"Tell me!!!"
"Phew..."
Do Gwang couldn't bring himself to say it with his eyes open.
"'Wudang'! They go 'Wudang'! Kuhahaha!"
He was laughing his head off all by himself. Seeing that, Do Gwang's expression hardened.
But then.
"Kyahaha~~"
Do Hwa burst into bright laughter beside him. Do Gwang's face turned pale.
'No way... my daughter... well, my kid's taste is in those garbage dad jokes?!'
But the meaning of that bright laughter wasn't amusement.
"Can I kill him?"
Do Hwa asked, radiating killing intent from her clear eyes. The drunkard jumped up at that and chimed in.
"Yeah! Don't you want to kill him?! I really want to kill him! What's so goddamn funny about knowing this crap?!"
The drunkard screamed, tearing at his hair. Only then did Do Gwang properly recognize the drunkard's face.
'Uh... This guy. It's Gwok Byeok, isn't it?'
Gwok Byeok. The head of law enforcement at the Murim Alliance's Sichuan branch. During his playthroughs, he was one of the handful of characters he saw most often. He was the one who came to investigate when Cheongseongpa tried to hand the protagonist over to the authorities along with Heukpyochae. In the game, he'd been the one to raise an issue with the late Jin Hun, who was long gone on the Yellow Spring Road by then, and negotiate to get the protagonist out.
'If I get close to this guy, it's the orthodox path... and if not, it's the unorthodox path...'
Well, that wasn't important right now. What was important was that this Gwok Byeok...
"Alright, here's the next one. What happens when Huashan Sect Taoists get caught in a fire... no, when they burn to death?"
"Sir... please, stop..."
"What? What is it?"
"They become 'Huashan-ash'! Agh!!!"
"..."
"Kyahaha~~"
...was telling dad jokes in this tiny street stall.
"Can I kill him?"
Do Hwa, who had been laughing brightly, was now shaking. The girl looked at Do Gwang with her clear eyes, begging for permission then and there. Before Do Gwang could even get a word out.
"Yeah! I really do want to kill him!!!"
Gwok Byeok was crying real tears, pounding the table.
"Hey... I don't know who you are..."
He turned his bloodshot eyes toward Do Gwang and Do Hwa.
"Hey there, young hero, young lady! Is this funny? Do you think this is fun?!"
It was a cry filled with sheer pathos and bitterness. Why was Gwok Byeok so furious and tormented?
'It must be because of his boss.'
Do Gwang thought of one person and nodded. The Sichuan branch leader, Moyong Jin. He acted strict, solemn, and serious at first, but once you got close, he'd start firing off dad jokes left and right.
'Hmm... It must be because he interrogated the guy I let live.'
He could figure it out naturally. Because of Do Gwang, the Cheongseong disciples could never arrive at Oga-hyeon. Gwok Byeok must have found it strange and gone to investigate the scene. And there, he must have thoroughly interrogated the surviving bandit. And the result of that interrogation was probably those dad jokes.
'The Murim Alliance is looking for the culprit...'
Since the only thing that bandit knew about Do Gwang was fragments of jokes, they wouldn't be able to catch his trail or anything.
'Well, it doesn't matter if they figure out it's me...'
Still, he didn't really want to fight Gwok Byeok, who was right in front of him, or Branch Leader Moyong Jin. They were characters he had some positive feelings for in the game. So he decided to just quietly order his food without acknowledging them.
But Gwok Byeok's madness didn't stop there.
"Do you know the next one? Tang family people..."
"Kyahaha~~"
Do Hwa laught>p>
Do Hwa.
"Do Hwa..."
Do Gwang opened his eyes slightly and looked down at the girl. He was thinking, 'Well, at least my daughter... I mean, my kid laughed at my joke...'
But.
"...Dad."
What he saw when he opened his eyes was a completely serious expression from Do Hwa, one he had never seen before.
"Don't do that."
"...Sorry."
Do Gwang had no choice but to offer his first sincere apology since possessing this body.
But unlike Do Hwa, there was someone who was delighted.
"Keu... Keukeu...!"
That was Gwok Byeok. It wasn't a laugh of amusement, but a hollow laugh of disbelief.
"Thank you, young hero!"
Gwok Byeok jumped up from his seat and shouted.
"Thanks to you telling me that, I can satisfy that branch leader... no, that damn old man!"
He took out a silver nyang and slapped it down on the table.
"Boss, give these siblings whatever they want to eat! And consider the change payment for listening to my nonsense!"
"Thank you, sir! Please don't come... I mean, please come again!"
The owner quickly pocketed the silver and bowed.
"Yeah, I'll definitely come again next time, hahaha!!!"
Gwok Byeok, having apparently used internal energy to sober up, left the shop with a light step.
And as he walked, he tilted his head slightly.
'Hmm... But didn't that girl call the young hero 'Dad'...?'
They couldn't have looked more than five or six years apart in age.
'I must have been really drunk. It's all that old bastard Moyong Jin's fault. I can't believe I left work in the middle of the day and went out drinking just because I was so annoyed.'
He chalked it up to having misheard and quickly returned to the branch office.
With Gwok Byeok gone, peace returned to the shop.
'Haah... Let's just eat.'
Do Gwang could finally breathe a sigh of relief. He looked at the owner and ordered.
"If the money that guy left isn't enough, I'll pay more. Give us the most delicious stuff, a lot of it."
"Aigoo~ No, no. He already gave more than enough! Please, eat as much as you want~ And thank you! For freeing me from that hell."
Hell. How many times had he had to listen to those garbage jokes?
Do Gwang decided not to think about it.
He just gave an awkward laugh and waited for the fired.
"Yes~ Yes, sir."
The owner replied nonchalantly, wiping a bowl, as if he was used to dealing with this kind of troublesome regular. The drunkard slammed the table at the indifferent response.
"Do you know what sound Wudang Sect elders make when they fall?"
"Ahaha... Sir, you've already told that one a few times..."
"Oh? Well, I'll tell you one more time."
The drunkard staggered, propping himself up, and shouted.
"'Wudang'! They go 'Wudang'! Kuhahaha!"
He was laughing his head off all by himself. Seeing that, Do Gwang's expression hardened.
But then.
"Kyahaha~~"
Do Hwa burst into bright laughter beside him. Do Gwang's face turned pale.
'No way... my daughter... well, my kid's taste is in those garbage dad jokes?!'
But the meaning of that bright laughter wasn't amusement.
"Can I kill him?"
Do Hwa asked, radiating killing intent from her clear eyes. The drunkard jumped up at that and chimed in.
"Yeah! Don't you want to kill him?! I really want to kill him! What's so goddamn funny about knowing this crap?!"
The drunkard screamed, tearing at his hair. Only then did Do Gwang properly recognize the drunkard's face.
'Uh... This guy. It's Gwok Byeok, isn't it?'
Gwok Byeok. The head of law enforcement at the Murim Alliance's Sichuan branch. During his playthroughs, he was one of the handful of characters he saw most often. He was the one who came to investigate when Cheongseongpa tried to hand the protagonist over to the authorities along with Heukpyochae. In the game, he'd been the one to raise an issue with the late Jin Hun, who was long gone on the Yellow Spring Road by then, and negotiate to get the protagonist out.
'If I get close to this guy, it's the orthodox path... and if not, it's the unorthodox path...'
Well, that wasn't important right now. What was important was that this Gwok Byeok...
"Alright, here's the next one. What happens when Huashan Sect Taoists get caught in a fire... no, when they burn to death?"
"Sir... please, stop..."
"What? What is it?"
"They become 'Huashan-ash'! Agh!!!"
"..."
"Kyahaha~~"
...was telling dad jokes in this tiny street stall.
"Can I kill him?"
Do Hwa, who had been laughing brightly, was now shaking. The girl looked at Do Gwang with her clear eyes, begging for permission then and there. Before Do Gwang could even get a word out.
"Yeah! I really do want to kill him!!!"
Gwok Byeok was crying real tears, pounding the table.
"Hey... I don't know who you are..."
He turned his bloodshot eyes toward Do Gwang and Do Hwa.
"Hey there, young hero, young lady! Is this funny? Do you think this is fun?!"
It was a cry filled with sheer pathos and bitterness. Why was Gwok Byeok so furious and tormented?
'It must be because of his boss.'
Do Gwang thought of one person and nodded. The Sichuan branch leader, Moyong Jin. He acted strict, solemn, and serious at first, but once you got close, he'd start firing off dad jokes left and right.
'Hmm... It must be because he interrogated the guy I let live.'
He could figure it out naturally. Because of Do Gwang, the Cheongseong disciples could never arrive at Oga-hyeon. Gwok Byeok must have found it strange and gone to investigate the scene. And there, he must have thoroughly interrogated the surviving bandit. And the result of that interrogation was probably those dad jokes.
'The Murim Alliance is looking for the culprit...'
Since the only thing that bandit knew about Do Gwang was fragments of jokes, they wouldn't be able to catch his trail or anything.
'Well, it doesn't matter if they figure out it's me...'
Still, he didn't really want to fight Gwok Byeok, who was right in front of him, or Branch Leader Moyong Jin. They were characters he had some positive feelings for in the game. So he decided to just quietly order his food without acknowledging them.
But Gwok Byeok's madness didn't stop there.
"Do you know the next one? Tang family people..."
"Kyahaha~~"
Do Hwa laughed brightly.
"I'm just going to kill him!"
The girl couldn't take it anymore and tried to pull out the dagger she had in her arms. Do Gwang quickly pressed down on her wrist.
"Do Hwa, hold on."
He understood how she felt, but if they started a bloodbath here and sliced up a Murim Alliance official, they might not get to eat properly today.
"Ehh... But..."
Do Hwa pouted but obediently listened to Do Gwang. Unaware that his life had been hanging by a thread, Gwok Byeok continued.
"...Tang family people. They start acting all dizzy."
"...?"
"...?"
Question marks floated in the air around Do Gwang and Do Hwa.
"That's as far as I got!!!"
Gwok Byeok screamed, tearing at his hair.
"And he's telling me to go find out what comes next!!!"
It was a cry filled with extreme resentment!
'Ah...'
Do Gwang finally understood the situation perfectly.
'I didn't tell the bastard the next punchline.'
That's why the interrogation must have been cut off.
'Moyong Jin. That old man must be nagging him to find out.'
Just as he predicted.
"He said no at first, but then later he kept pestering me to somehow find out!"
It was clear that Gwok Byeok's wailing was entirely Moyong Jin's fault.
"I ask him, but... no, from here on, it's confidential information, so I hope you understand I can't say."
"Haha..."
The owner just gave a good-natured smile.
'If it's confidential, don't say it from the start...'
Whether he knew the owner was pointing that out in his head, Gwok Byeok kept up his drunken rambling.
"Hic... Anyway, that's why I'm saying... Wudang Sect elders..."
As Gwok Byeok was about to start looping again, Do Hwa grabbed Do Gwang's sleeve tightly.
"...Are you sure I can't just kill him?"
At this rate, a stabbing was really going to happen. He figured their chances of eating were pretty much shot.
"Haah..."
Do Gwang sighed lightly. Then he slowly opened his mouth again.
"Hey, mister, I don't know the details, but you mentioned the Tang family, right?"
"Hic...! Uh-huh...?"
"Umm... Could it be this?"
"What? You know something? Tell me quickly, young hero!"
"Haah..."
Do Gwang felt a deep sense of wretchedness at the fact that he had to say this kind of joke himself. When he was wasting those bandit bastards on the cart, he'd said it out of anger and because he thought it was a dream. Having to actually spit this out with a clear mind brought on a wave of shame.
But.
"Dad! I'm just going to kill him!"
Since Do Hwa was about to go on a stabbing spree, he had no choice but to speak up.
"Why do Tang family members suddenly stagger?"
"...!!!"
Gwok Byeok's eyes went wide at Do Gwang's question. That was because he hadn't expected much, but the setup perfectly matched the beginning of the joke! It might be the real answer!
"Yeah, why? Tell me quickly, young hero!"
"Haah..."
"Tell me!!!"
"Phew..."
Do Gwang couldn't bring himself to say it with his eyes open.
"They lost their Tang..."
He said the answer with his own mouth and then squeezed his eyes shut tightly. He desperately wanted to point out that it was ridiculous someone in this Murim world, which wasn't modern, even knew about blood sugar levels. But this was it. The dad joke he was about to tell the bandit bastard but didn't. That garbage joke Hwang Chisam had made.
"Kyahaha~~"
Do Hwa's bright laughter hit his ears.
"Do Hwa..."
Do Gwang opened his eyes slightly and looked down at the girl. He was thinking, 'Well, at least my daughter... I mean, my kid laughed at my joke...'
But.
"...Dad."
What he saw when he opened his eyes was a completely serious expression from Do Hwa, one he had never seen before.
"Don't do that."
"...Sorry."
Do Gwang had no choice but to offer his first sincere apology since possessing this body.
But unlike Do Hwa, there was someone who was delighted.
"Keu... Keukeu...!"
That was Gwok Byeok. It wasn't a laugh of amusement, but a hollow laugh of disbelief.
"Thank you, young hero!"
Gwok Byeok jumped up from his seat and shouted.
"Thanks to you telling me that, I can satisfy that branch leader... no, that damn old man!"
He took out a silver nyang and slapped it down on the table.
"Boss, give these siblings whatever they want to eat! And consider the change payment for listening to my nonsense!"
"Thank you, sir! Please don't come... I mean, please come again!"
The owner quickly pocketed the silver and bowed.
"Yeah, I'll definitely come again next time, hahaha!!!"
Gwok Byeok, having apparently used internal energy to sober up, left the shop with a light step.
And as he walked, he tilted his head slightly.
'Hmm... But didn't that girl call the young hero 'Dad'...?'
They couldn't have looked more than five or six years apart in age.
'I must have been really drunk. It's all that old bastard Moyong Jin's fault. I can't believe I left work in the middle of the day and went out drinking just because I was so annoyed.'
He chalked it up to having misheard and quickly returned to the branch office.
With Gwok Byeok gone, peace returned to the shop.
'Haah... Let's just eat.'
Do Gwang could finally breathe a sigh of relief. He looked at the owner and ordered.
"If the money that guy left isn't enough, I'll pay more. Give us the most delicious stuff, a lot of it."
"Aigoo~ No, no. He already gave more than enough! Please, eat as much as you want~ And thank you! For freeing me from that hell."
Hell. How many times had he had to listen to those garbage jokes?
Do Gwang decided not to think about it.
He just gave an awkward laugh and waited for the food.
Murim Alliance Sichuan Branch.
'What a relief. I don't have to see that filthy prisoner bastard again.'
Gwok Byeok returned with a light heart. But as soon as he stepped inside.
"Enforcement Chief, where on earth have you been?!"
Moyong Jin shouted, veins bulging in his neck.
'...As if you don't know. I was out having a drink because you pissed me off.'
If he hadn't been lucky enough to run into those siblings, he would probably still be out there drinking. He really couldn't help but drink. How could he be told to interrogate a bandit who had already shat himself and passed out to somehow get more information? He said he needed more information, but he was probably just dying to hear the next joke.
Gwok Byeok desperately wanted to say that. But first of all, Moyong Jin was his boss. And more importantly, because there were dozens of warriors following behind Moyong Jin. The atmosphere was clearly unusual.
"...Has something big happened?"
"Yes, right now in Chengdu, something truly big might happen! We must hurry!"
"What on earth is it?"
"The Third Elder of the Tang family has been crippled! By Paedomun!"
"What? What are you talking about all of a sudden? Didn't we sign a proper treaty with Paedomun?"
Gwok Byeok asked back in shock. It wasn't some street punk gang. Was Paedomun, one of the Nine Dark Alliances of the Nine Provinces, really breaking the treaty?! He couldn't make sense of the situation at all.
"I know! They say the children of the Paedomun Lord crossed the border today and started acting tyrannically!"
"What? What do you mean? The Paedomun Lord having children?"
Gwok Byeok narrowed his brows in disbelief.
"Inspector, didn't you inform the Branch Leader? That he hasn't even married, let alone have children, because he's only got eyes for his blade?"
The man called Inspector broke out in a cold sweat and answered.
"I did inform him. But the rumors are rampant that a brat who doesn't even look of age, wearing fine silk clothes and carrying a greatsword, must be a hidden child!"
"What nonsense... Huh..."
Gwok Byeok let out a hollow laugh. Then, a certain thought suddenly flashed through his mind.
'Wait... Doesn't look of age... greatsword...?'
Gwok Byeok's pupils dilated.
'...That young hero had a greatsword strapped to his back... right?'
And his clothes vaguely looked like they had a bit of blood on them too...
"Th-they said it was him and someone else... who was the other one?"
Gwok Byeok carefully swallowed his saliva and asked.
"Yes, they say there was also a crazy little girl with him who calls him her 'Dad'!"
"..."
A cold sweat poured down Gwok Byeok's spine like rain.
'No matter how I look at it, it's them...'
Gwok Byeok was frozen stiff. Moyong Jin's urgent voice rang in his ears.
"Anyway, whether they're Paedomun children or not isn't important! The First and Second Elders of the Tang family have already mobilized! Let's go quickly!"
Moyong Jin quickened his steps urgently. Gwok Byeok quickly followed him and opened his mouth.
"Understood. But before that, I have something to tell you, Branch Leader!"
He was about to bring up the fact that he had met the suspected culprits earlier. Whether Moyong Jin sensed this or not.
"Oh, as expected of the Enforcement Chief! You found out!"
Moyong Jin turned around, delighted.
"Yes, that is...!"
Just as Gwok Byeok was about to hastily report. But, contrary to his expectations.
"Yes, 'Tang family people'... what's the next part?"
What came out of Moyong Jin's mouth was complete bullshit. What in the world was this old man doing? He was the one who said the situation was urgent.
A flabbergasted Gwok Byeok put on a stern face and replied.
"...I'm not telling you."
"Wha, what?!"
"Weren't you the one who said we have to hurry? Let's go."
Gwok Byeok started walking ahead with long strides.
"Hey, Enforcement, Enforcement Chief!!!"
Moyong Jin hurried after him, pleading.
"If you're not telling me, that means you found out!"
"No, I don't know."
"Please tell me! Gwok Byeok!!!"
"Do your damn job!!!"
The great city of Chengdu in Sichuan. Truly, there was no place quite as messed up as this.