Chapter 68
Chapter 68
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Translator: penny
Chapter Title: Let's Rob the Thieves (1)
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"What does that look like to you?"
Nangong Yun-ho scowled at the wooden sign reading Black Tiger Gang.
"Black Tiger Gang... It looks like a faction that controls this place on its own."
"Good eye. Why do you think that?"
"First, the signboard is flashy. It's like they're showing off their power. Plus, the manor is spotlessly clean without a single flaw. That means they don't need to get dragged into fights."
"Not bad observation skills."
Praising Nangong Yun-ho brought Baek Ri-seol poking her head in, hand raised.
"There's more! As soon as we entered the village earlier, some ugly old men headed that way."
True to her sharp senses, Baek Ri-seol had picked up on the traces of those who'd vanished.
"Hmm. I don't sense any [wariness] from those people. Does that mean they have nothing to fear here?"
Moyong So-hye offered her own interpretation.
"What about you?"
Turning his gaze prompted Jegal Tan to add,
"It's not affiliated with the Iron Chain Alliance. Looks like a black path gang rather than a proper unorthodox sect."
Not all unorthodox sects are the same.
The current unorthodox forces were bound under the powerful Iron Chain Alliance coalition.
Not belonging to the Iron Chain Alliance meant it wasn't an official unorthodox sect, but a gang formed by black path warriors.
Just as not all beggars in the world belonged to the Beggars' Sect, or every bandit to the Eighteen Bandit Strongholds.
If it wasn't a proper sect, its status would be lower.
These cases were second-rate at best.
Most were closer to third-rate, in truth.
"You know your stuff."
"I have all the names of Iron Chain Alliance unorthodox sects memorized."
"That's a lot."
"Basic knowledge for anyone from the Jegal Family."
"Smartass, fuckin' know-it-all."
Jegal Tan promptly shut his mouth.
He knew the instructor had a habit of exploding whenever someone acted smart.
A fitting response from the Jegal Family's prodigy.
Nangong Yun-ho asked,
"Instructor. We know this place is controlled by the Black Tiger Gang, a black path outfit. Have we covered everything we need to assess first?"
The instructor had definitely said he'd give them his 'first lesson.'
It wouldn't end with just what they already knew.
And sure enough.
"Of course not."
The answer came right away.
"Once you've identified the most likely faction, there's one thing you must always consider."
Thump. Thump.
Everyone perked up their ears, focusing on the lesson to come.
"The faction next door has the best food."
***
"What? Why!"
The instructor grumbled irritably.
"This is important stuff!"
"Isn't it all just to eat and survive?"
"Black path faction eateries even use the best ingredients!"
"They slack off and get beaten senseless by pissed-off black path thugs!"
Watching Chu Un-hwi rant endlessly about lazy merchants these days, recycling food, and such, the group's gazes cooled sharply.
'He's not wrong, but...'
They'd built up expectations for an important lesson, only for it to fizzle out disappointingly.
"Hmph. Tch. Pfft. Fine, I'll eat alone."
Suit yourself.
His childish reaction only made him seem more pitiful.
Before long, they reached the entrance of the inn—aka the black path eatery—where a bald man with a knife scar across his face blocked their path.
"Who might you be?"
Jegal Tan stepped forward.
"Travelers passing through."
"What business here?"
"Happened to stop by. Do you turn away customers?"
"Hmm. Not exactly..."
Jegal Tan's grip tightened on his sword at the man's blatant stare toward his back.
"Heh. Looks tender enough to eat raw."
"Right now."
Shing.
"You picking a fight?"
Thrusting his thumb to slide the sword up made the man step back.
"Haha. Just kidding. No intention to fight."
"......"
"Go on in. Precious customers boosting sales are always welcome."
It grated on his nerves.
Even Nangong Yun-ho, whose inner thoughts rarely showed, displayed clear hostility.
Moyong So-hye fidgeted uncomfortably, twisting her body.
"Instruuuctor. Do we really have to eat here?"
"Yeah. Didn't you say you wanted properly cooked food?"
He'd said it clearly.
Until yesterday, they'd been digging up roots in the wild.
It was natural to crave real cooked meals.
"But this place... I feel like I'll get indigestion worrying while eating."
"Experiences like this build character."
No winning against the instructor's words.
***
Inside, even in broad daylight, drunken louts occupied four or five tables.
"What intense stares."
Baek Ri-seol frowned at the eyes raking over her the moment they entered.
Moyong So-hye, arms crossed, shivered slightly in discomfort.
"Where to sit?"
"Over there would be good."
Nangong Yun-ho claimed a spot by the window, back to the wall, amid a few grimy tables.
Chu Un-hwi nodded.
"Not bad."
"Good for fighting with your back guarded, and easy to escape."
"Yeah. Knew you'd pick that."
Turning next, Jegal Tan gave a slight nod.
"Do they have pork steamed in liquor here?"
The moment he cautiously spoke, Chu Un-hwi thwack! kicked his shin under the table.
"Wh-what was that for?"
"You got a brain or not? Pork steamed in liquor in a place like this?"
"N-no?"
Pork was the cheapest, most common ingredient, available anywhere even in the Infinite Pavilion.
He'd chosen carefully, so what went wrong?
Chu Un-hwi clicked his tongue.
"Where would they get liquor to steam it in? They've probably guzzled it all."
"......"
"And forgot where we are? It's a slash-and-burn village. No way they'd raise hogs that eat a ton."
"Ah!"
He'd been too complacent.
Should've considered local habits over shallow knowledge.
"Then what should we order?"
"Didn't you see what people were eating on the way?"
"Ah. They were all having leek noodles."
"Pheasant noodle soup. Easy to catch in the mountains. Five pheasant noodle soups, and four grilled beef offal for appetizers. That'll do."
He'd scoped it out in that brief entry.
Truly seasoned eyes.
Tap tap. Slamming the table crudely brought the scar-faced bald man running.
"What'll it be."
"Server."
"With that face? Kid, you think this is a beauty contest?"
"Hey, watch it."
"What! Wrong? Fuck. Put your hand on your heart. You think I'd swallow noodles after seeing your mug? Huh? If I choke, you gonna Heimlich me?"
Pounding the table with his scabbard threateningly, he bellowed until the server backed off, face twisted.
Chu Un-hwi commented,
"Second lesson. Act picky, and they'll give you extra meat."
Figures.
The instructor's asshole routine worked even on unorthodox folk.
***
"Food's here."
Thunk thunk.
Though the careless bowl placement irked the eye, the group soon relaxed.
"Hmm. Smells good."
"Sis, they gave us tons of meat!"
"When's the last proper meal?"
"The aroma is divine. I'd love to learn the broth secret."
As each grabbed chopsticks and slurped noodles,
"Ah, fuck."
The instructor griped again.
"What now?"
"My finger just touched the broth!"
The server snorted.
"Just brushed it serving. What's the big deal? Can't handle that?"
"Hell no. Would you eat something dipped in a finger from some unwashed back-alley bastard like you?"
"Damn it, enough!"
The server looked pitiful, grinding his teeth.
But he retreated anyway.
"I'll bring new ones!"
Yet the instructor's antics continued.
"New ones."
"New! New!"
"Bring new ones, I said!"
In the ensuing commotion, the four stared blankly at their noodles.
Waiting for the instructor, the bloated noodles looked pathetic.
After rejecting bowls several times, trouble brewed.
Hurling his towel, the server growled,
"What's the problem! Why!"
"Gotta ask?"
"No finger touched it, and I carried it carefully!"
"Your finger of the mind was in it."
"What bullshit?"
"For real. Bring new."
"Fuck!"
Bam!
The server kicked a nearby table, fuming.
"Push it and see!"
Scrape.
The louts who'd been face-planted on tables now eyed them slyly.
A sinister aura ready to pounce at a signal.
'What the hell.'
Tap. Tap.
Baek Ri-seol and Nangong Yun-ho nudged their table-propped swords onto their knees with their toes.
Clink. Clink.
Jegal Tan and Moyong So-hye hid chopsticks up their sleeves, feigning ignorance.
Ready to strike if things popped off.
'Why provoke a fight on purpose.'
A sigh escaped, but all tensed, subtly gathering qi.
Tinderbox tension.
Chu Un-hwi, mid-asshole act, tilted his head.
"For real? I thought you'd shoved your dick in it."
Never mind, sorry.
The playful jab scraped tempers rawer.
"Grr. You wanna go?!"
A hollow line followed.
"Then who put the dogshit sleeping drug in it?"
Freeze.
The server's pupils shook like an earthquake.
"Sl-sleeping drug? What're you talking about?"
"Didn't know? Nose plugged? Stinks of drugs up in here."
"I-I don't know anything!"
"Really? Weird. This stuff's only from Yunam Province. Right, mixed with Saya Pharmacy's secret recipe, it has that bitter tang..."
Naming the drug from smell alone, plus origin and maker, had the server's body quaking beyond his eyes.
'Wrong guy to mess with.'
His face screamed it.
"Anyway, not you, right?"
"R-right."
"Then culprit's one guy."
Thud.
Chu Un-hwi slapped a nearby table.
Boom!
It shattered into four pieces with a roar.
"Heard love taps need tools. Bare hands just hurt feelings."
Crack.
Grabbing a table leg from the wreckage, a few hand chops fashioned a club instantly.
Impeccably clean handiwork.
"Now with a tool, time to catch the food-tampering bastard and give him love taps."
"Wha—?"
Distracted by the table-smashing and club-making in a blink, the server blocked him.
"What? You the culprit too?"
Chill.
The room quivered under killing intent; the server stumbled back.
"Nah? Then move."
Chu Un-hwi vanished into the kitchen next.
Crash! Clang!
Roars followed.
"What? Who're you!"
"Agh! Argh! What the—!"
"Sp-spare me. Please. Mercy..."
Smack. Crack.
The din faded after a while, and the kitchen raider returned.
One hand bloody club, the other dragging a pulped body.
Thump.
Dumping the bloodied mess at his feet, Chu Un-hwi asked,
"Hey. Not you, right?"
"S-sir. What do you mean?"
"He says you ordered it. But our good server wouldn't, right? Yeah?"
Having witnessed the divine display, and his stronger boss taken down effortlessly.
The server bowed hastily.
"Not me. Frame job."
"Knew it. I got an eye for people."
Thud.
Dropping the bloody club, Chu Un-hwi said,
"Remake the noodles."