Chapter 42
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: Teaching Martial Arts (1)
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Swish. Crack.
I passed by Si Ju-pyeong's side and wrapped my arm around his neck, snapping it clean.
As I rummaged through the body of the man who had collapsed dead without even noticing, I found a silk pouch.
Inside the pouch were a few taels of silver and two banknotes.
Gwang-u was also searching the sprawled bodies of the family retainers, collecting their money pouches and swords.
"Bury them."
"Got it, hyung."
Gwang-u tossed them and Si Ju-pyeong into the pit the Si Family retainers had dug themselves and hurriedly shoveled dirt over them.
He seemed numb to this kind of thing by now, having done it so often.
As I watched Gwang-u cover them with soil, I sensed someone approaching this place again.
"No wonder it's been so quiet these past few days. This is normal. Yeah, this is how it should be."
I peeked out toward the source of the presence.
Seok Yang-ho, Seok Su-a, and four retainers were hurrying over, escorting the two.
I stepped out where they could see me clearly and bowed my head first in greeting.
"It's been a while."
"Ah, yes, it's been a while, Hunter Go. Er, no—sorry. Hunter Go."
"Greetings, Family Head."
As Gwang-u appeared at my side, Seok Yang-ho quickly clasped his hands together.
"Greetings, Hunter Seok."
After exchanging greetings with Seok Yang-ho, Gwang-u hesitantly bowed to Seok Su-a.
"Greetings... Miss Seok."
"Yes. Have you been well?"
Gwang-u squirmed a little as he received her greeting, while Seok Su-a's cheeks flushed pink as she bowed.
'What's this? Does even Miss Seok have feelings for this idiot? No way... that can't be.'
I couldn't stand the weird atmosphere flowing between them, so I quickly guided Seok Yang-ho inside.
"Thank you."
As he followed me, he suddenly spotted the several swords Gwang-u was carrying and jumped in surprise.
"Isn't that Si Ju-pyeong's prized blade? How did it end up in Hunter Seok's hands?"
Gwang-u just glanced at me.
"That's how it happened. He came looking for his son just a bit ago, tried to kill us, so we buried him up there."
I told him everything that had just occurred, without hiding a thing.
They already knew about me and Gwang-u's martial prowess, so there was no point in concealing it.
"In the end... it came to that."
Seok Yang-ho looked at Si Ju-pyeong's sword with a complicated expression.
I quickly snatched the sword from Gwang-u's hand and offered it to him.
"Please take care of this sword, Family Head."
Seok Yang-ho didn't accept it.
He gazed at me with a look of pity, the sword extended toward him.
"I just can't understand you two at all. If you wielded your strength for the justice and chivalry of the martial world, the world would be so much better than it is now."
Had I misjudged the man standing before me all this time?
Why was he pressuring me to fight for the justice and chivalry of the martial world?
'Looks like the Henan Jo Family's raid changed something in him.'
Guessing at his inner thoughts, I grew colder than usual.
"If you've come to say things like that, please head back now, Family Head. We've received much help from you up to now, but I believe we've repaid that in kind."
Seok Yang-ho seemed greatly flustered.
Seok Su-a beside him looked lost, and the retainers were the same.
"Ah... I'm sorry. I overstepped. Please don't take it to heart."
"No, if anything, I'm the one who should apologize. Forget what I just said. Please, come inside."
I knew words once spoken couldn't be taken back.
From now on, Seok Yang-ho probably wouldn't bring up anything like that again in front of me.
With silver overflowing in my pockets, I'd even prepared tea leaves at home.
And it wasn't just tea leaves.
I'd gotten some decent-looking teacups and a tea table too.
Right now, Gwang-u and I sat across from the Seok Family Head at that tea table, sipping from those cups.
It was fairly expensive tea, but honestly, I had no idea how it tasted.
All I remembered was occasionally brewing cheap tea leaves or herbs for my master in the past.
"Truth be told, I've come to earnestly ask a favor of you two."
Seok Yang-ho set down his teacup and spoke first.
"Please, go ahead."
He'd opened his mouth, but he hesitated to continue.
Mindful of what had happened earlier, I tried to soften my expression and tone as much as possible.
"When Gwang-u and I first came to this village, we had no idea how to make a living. You gave us great help, Family Head. Without you, we would've been in real trouble. So please, don't hold back—tell us."
"Thank you for saying that. The truth is, the Henan Jo Family's raid made me realize our Seok Family's dire situation. Without the help of others, not a single one of us would've survived. As Family Head, I want to protect our retainers. Please, help us."
I'd hoped and prayed this wouldn't come up.
But maybe I shouldn't have expected otherwise from the start.
"How can we help?"
"Please guide our family retainers."
"You want us to teach them martial arts?"
"No. If I'd come with that in mind, I wouldn't even regret biting my tongue and dying right now. I'll show you every single one of the Seok Family's martial techniques without omission and even hand over the manuals. I don't think our Seok Family arts lag behind other martial clans'. We've just failed to grasp their true essence. Please teach our retainers according to those manuals. I beg you."
Seok Yang-ho, who had been sitting on the bench, dropped to his knees on the ground and bowed his head low.
As the Family Head knelt and bowed on the dirt, Seok Su-a and the retainers followed suit.
"Please help the Seok Family."
The retainers' voices echoed in my ears, identical as if rehearsed.
"I refuse."
I was firm.
But unexpectedly, Gwang-u seemed to think differently.
"Hyung, let's help. Master said it too—don't spare your life for justice and chivalry."
Kukukuku... Kuhahaha!
Now everything was crystal clear.
Seok Yang-ho was using his own daughter for the sake of his family.
Maybe Seok Su-a had even volunteered.
No matter how oblivious she was, she must have sensed Gwang-u's feelings for her.
Still, I couldn't blame his desperation.
As I burst into mad laughter, Seok Yang-ho flushed red and bowed his head deeply.
"I... I spouted nonsense. Forget it all."
"No. Please head back for now. I'll give you an answer after discussing with Gwang-u."
If I were in his shoes, I'd have made the same choice.
Even if it was unavoidable, it was our fault for revealing our martial arts.
"I'm sorry, Hunter Go."
"Safe travels."
After seeing off Seok Yang-ho and the retainers, Gwang-u blocked my path as I turned back.
"Hyung, why'd you send the Family Head away like that? He's a really good guy."
"I know."
"You know, but you still...? If you don't want to, I'll help him myself."
Gwang-u raved like someone who'd had food snatched from him.
"Let's talk slowly. Slowly."
"Slowly my ass. Decide right now!"
"Wanna die?"
I lightly raised my fist, and Gwang-u hurriedly backed away.
"Hyung, you're too extreme."
More than twenty warriors scaled the walls.
Slipping over under cover of darkness, they mercilessly cut down anything living in sight.
"Enemies! Enemy raid!"
Shouts announcing the surprise attack rang out everywhere, and in an instant, over a hundred warriors gathered.
Clang! Thud! ...
A fierce battle erupted between those who had scaled the walls and those rushing out from inside the compound.
Kraaack...!
Screams burst from all directions, blood spraying everywhere.
The number of defenders pouring out from the houses kept growing, nearing a hundred and fifty.
"Retreat!"
In the end, the intruders leaped back over the walls to escape.
"Pursue them!"
The pursuers scaled the walls or rushed out the main gate.
The fleeing foes dashed along the mountain path toward a valley.
Over a hundred and fifty warriors followed, encircling them and gradually closing the distance.
Moments later, a rocky valley appeared, and the fugitives vanished into it.
The hundred and fifty warriors charged in after them.
Those who had boldly rushed in halted abruptly.
This valley was supposed to connect to a wide official road.
But no road appeared—instead, sheer cliffs towered impossibly high, blocking their path.
"Th-this... How is this possible? What the hell happened?"
Panicking and floundering, they soon turned to flee back the way they'd come.
But what greeted them was a hail of arrows from the darkness.
Shwaaaa...
The barrage poured down on the hundred and fifty who had entered the valley, swiftly claiming futile deaths.
Kraaack! Kack! ...
"Run!"
The survivors of the arrow volley bolted back the way they'd entered.
But that entrance had vanished, replaced by another towering cliff.
Now there was no way out.
Surrounded by cliffs on all sides, they could only collapse to the ground, pierced by arrows.
Aaack! Aaaack! ...
As screams endlessly echoed through the valley, a gloomy voice emerged from somewhere.
"It's... a formation. The Zhuge Family is here."
As if in response to his words, the arrow rain from above suddenly ceased.
Soon after, something astonishing happened.
Warriors with drawn swords emerged from within the blocking cliffs.
They all wore white robes with white bands around their heads, looking even more eerie under the dim moonlight.
"How dare a pathetic clan like the Henan Jo Family trample upon the Zhuge Family and take our retainers' lives."
A middle-aged man at the front rebuked the survivors in a stern voice.
Only twelve of the Henan Jo Family retainers had survived the arrow volley.
With terrified faces, they stared at the Zhuge Family retainers before slowly setting down their swords one by one.
Clang! Clang!
Then they prostrated themselves flat on the ground.
The eldest among the prostrated Henan Jo retainers spoke in a trembling voice.
"The Henan Jo Family... will compensate the Zhuge Family with thirty thousand taels of silver and will not set foot in the martial world for the next ten years. So please... please allow us to preserve our lineage."
"We trust you'll keep your promise."
As the middle-aged man turned, the cliffs blocking the path vanished in an instant, revealing the original road as if they'd never been there.
"Let's go back."
The sixty-odd warriors in white uniforms left the valley first.
They had struck the Henan Jo Family to avenge the deaths of their retainers in Huanin County.
Once the Zhuge Family had departed the valley, the prostrated Henan Jo retainers rose to their feet.
Tears streamed down all their faces.
In a single battle, the once-renowned Henan Jo Family of Henan had fallen to the level of a third-rate martial clan.
"Someday... someday we'll repay today's humiliation dozens, hundreds of times over, Zhuge Family."