281. The Night of the Greedy (2)
“Kuaaahhh……”
“Kueeeong……”
The iron weights had increased again. From wrists to elbows. From ankles to knees.
“You idiots! You call that lightness skill when you're stomping footprints into the ground every step? Why don't you just set up signposts telling everyone where you're headed!”
Jin Sowoon was griping about the deep footprints left every time they tried to practice their lightness skill. The four of them shot him sullen glares.
'What are we supposed to do about the weight?'
'Then just take off these damn shackles.'
'Ah, this sucks. It sucks so much.'
'……'
He'd made their bodies heavy as mountains and now expected them to leap around lightly. What kind of bullshit was that? But they couldn't voice their complaints. Not when someone else was flawlessly obeying their ridiculous senior brother's orders under the exact same conditions.
Papapapapapak!
The three hundred or so footsteps he left behind bore only the faintest traces. It was hard to believe he was wearing all those iron weights.
“Excellent work, Eunho!”
“Ah…… yes…… thank you, Senior Brother.”
“If you'd all kept up even half as well as Eunho, we'd already be back at the sect with the spirit medicines, welcomed home in glory! Aigoo! Aigoo!”
As Jin Sowoon subtly took Eunho's side, the other three's resentment shifted squarely onto the poor guy.
'I knew you'd do this.'
'Little brother, I'm so hurt right now.'
'Eunho bro, you idiot!'
They were glaring daggers at him, but Eunho couldn't do a damn thing about it. He'd had enough of the endless nagging and beatings.
“Senior Brother, how about loosening the iron weights a bit? We'd pick up speed then. Don't you want to get back quick and see the elders?”
Eunho phrased it carefully, not wanting to irk his senior brother. Ever since that “trying to run away” bullshit a few days back, they'd been tormented day and night. At least this showed they weren't slacking on training.
But Jin Sowoon didn't even blink.
“What are you talking about? We've still got plenty more to wear.”
“What……”
“How many do you think we can fit in the baggage?”
Jin Sowoon shook the massive pack on his back. Clang-clang-clang. An ominous rattle of iron echoed from within.
Crazy. How many has he got on him?
Eunho snapped to attention. Sorry, guys, but he had to back off now. That psycho senior brother might pile even more on him if he pushed.
He smoothly changed the subject.
“Ah! Senior Brother, didn't you say we'd grab spirit medicines on the way back to Tae-eul Gate?”
“Yeah.”
“But why does it feel like we're heading north all the time?”
“Because that's where we're going.”
“Pardon?”
To get from Muhwan to Hebi, they needed to head east through Hubei Province into Anhui. North? What the hell?
“Ah…… so the spirit medicines are somewhere south of Henan Province?”
At least they could loop back through Hubei and hit Anhui quick. Eunho racked his brain for a positive spin that wouldn't piss off his senior.
“Nah, final destination's Xi'an.”
“Xi'an?”
He tilted his head at the baffling answer.
“Is there a city called Xi'an in Hubei Province?”
There were too many cities in the world for any normal person to memorize them all. And Jin Sowoon, hardly normal, flashed a meaningful smile.
“Who knows? Maybe.”
“Oh, learning something new today.”
Eunho forced a grin to stroke his ego. But the follow-up made him scowl.
“The one we're hitting is in Shaanxi Province.”
Shaanxi……? Xi'an……?
Eunho mentally unfolded a map and checked. Then he nearly screamed.
You mad bastard! That's the complete opposite direction!
Of course, he didn't say it out loud.
“Exciting, right?”
“……”
He didn't fancy a beating from his sky-high senior brother.
Xi'an, Shaanxi Province.
Xi'an winters were brutal. Sandstorms from the desert made outdoor life miserable, so people stayed indoors. Merchants closed early. Even pilgrims to Mount Hua and Mount Zhongnan dwindled.
Mount Hua, one of the Five Great Peaks, was treacherous even in summer—no one was crazy enough to climb in winter. Mount Zhongnan, mindful of that, shut out guests for “harsh weather training.”
Thus, Xi'an emptied out naturally in winter.
Yet.
“Why are there so many people out and about?”
A vendor arranging his stall paused at the crowded streets.
“Yeah…… it was like this yesterday, too.”
“……Isn't there an awful lot of armed folks?”
“Hmm…… what now?”
An innkeeper came running from afar.
“What are you lot doing? Keep the business going, obviously!”
“Eh, with this crowd……”
“I just came from the south gate. It's packed with people heading into Xi'an!”
“For real?”
“You think I'd lie after a good meal?”
The others reopened their stalls and called back their early-dismissed help. Overtime sucked, but smiles lingered—unexpected business was a boon.
The merchants weren't the only ones thrilled.
“Let's go!”
“Got it!”
At O-sam's command, the beggars fell in line behind him. Four knots tied at his waist, his clothes cleaner than most beggars'. Passersby gawked at the knots, surprised.
O-sam walked taller, shoulders squared.
Heh, young for a four-knot guy.
His peers were stuck at two knots. He was skyrocketing in the Beggar Clan.
A bit more and I'll hit five knots…… then……
Youngest branch leader. Sure, he'd need to finish his mandatory Murim Alliance service first.
His brow furrowed at the thought.
Aw, man…… if only I'd gone to the academy.
Mandatory service was low-rank grunt work. Short term, but pay and treatment beat begging. Academy grads were rising stars nowadays. Even in the Beggar Clan, finishing meant skipping two ranks. Or stay with the Alliance—not bad either. He'd be a division head at least.
Bunch of knot-eyed old fogeys.
O-sam knew he was academy material. His martial growth was solid, and his Xi'an roots gave him an edge anywhere.
Yet he'd been excluded from the exam. Sure, no official quals, but who took it without faction backing? Idiots, that's who. And those idiots from his clan who went? They hadn't dominated the academy.
No Dragon Child, no top talents, no Dang Seo-hee—what kind of academy was that? And some nobody from Tae-eul Gate, Jin Sowoon, as rep? Like hearing the sun rose in the west.
“Bunch of morons.”
“Pardon?!”
“Nothing.”
Better this way. Beat Jin Sowoon someday, prove he was better than those academy punks.
O-sam longed to meet the guy with that shady Black Flame Dragon moniker.
“A greenhouse flower like him won't show up here. Tsk.”
Dwelling on impossibles just gave headaches. Especially with Xi'an buzzing strangely.
He shook his head and ordered his subordinate.
“Record everything carefully. One of these guys will snag the Oryeong Seonhwa Oil for sure.”
“Uh……”
“What?”
“Wouldn't it be better if we went in now and grabbed it?”
O-sam snorted at the dumb beggar's question. Morons everywhere.
“You think you can find Oryeong Seonhwa Oil just 'cause? Know what it is?”
“Send me and I'll……”
O-sam smacked his skull.
“Idiot! Forgot the Ma-ryeong Plateau mess? Spirit medicines make the whole world shake. How's a scrub like you gonna get one?”
“……Sorry.”
“Best is snagging it unknown. But scheduled ones like Oryeong Seonhwa Oil? Walk in, you're dead meat. Got it?”
The frozen beggars chorused.
“““Yes!”””
“And there're multiple this time. Chase 'em all, miss the rest.”
As O-sam grumbled, a sly beggar piped up.
“……Then why record? We ain't going in, hard to snag anyway.”
“Tsk tsk…… that's why you've only got two knots.”
O-sam sneered and continued.
“What are we?”
“Uh, enforcers of righteousness……”
Smack.
“Not that. Our biggest gig?”
“……I-info gathering.”
O-sam tsked impatiently.
“Right. Info network. Eyes and ears everywhere. Whoever grabs one, it'll hit our radar.”
“……Ah, so steal it sneaky later……”
Crack!
The beggar clutched his skull.
“Watch your mouth. That's a stratagem, stratagem!”
“R-really?”
“Yeah.”
The guy didn't get the answer he wanted but shut up. Push more, no skull left.
But bold ones pop up elsewhere.
“But, Branch Chief……”
“What now!”
Another beggar hesitated.
“Uh…… do we log beggars separately?”
“You crazy fuck, why would Beggar Clan beggars go hunting spirit meds!”
“No, they don't look Clan……”
O-sam's face darkened. Non-Clan beggars scavenging here? How many ancestors' bowls got smashed claiming this turf? And they dare?
“Where! Show me these cheeky bastards invading Beggar turf!”
“Th-there……”
The beggar pointed timidly. Through the dusty wind, five figures approached. Real beggars? Kinda……
Huh?
As they neared, O-sam stepped back instinctively. Even to his beggar eyes, they looked off. Clothes caked in dirt, faces grimy like days unwashed. Wild hair, dried drool stains.
What the hell on their limbs……?
Especially the bizarre iron weights chained like shackles on arms and legs. Each step left deep prints, but distance covered was pitiful. Total freak show.
Beggars in that bad shape? Nah.
Modern beggars kept clean—no one wanted disease or rejection killing efficiency. Prime rule: hygiene!
Yet.
And who's that……?
One walked casually, ignoring the other four's misery. The four glared murderously at him.
Slave trader?
As O-sam sized them up, the beggar asked.
“Branch Chief, what do?”
“Bring 'em. Gotta talk.”
True beggars needed schooling; slavers, immediate death. How many innocents became bandit slaves yearly? His chest burned, staff heating up.
“……”
But the beggar approached the trader, who waved him off lazily. After more tries, the beggar scurried back.
“Uh…… says ignore him?”
This moron…… just comes back?
“Did you reveal yourself?”
“Ah!”
Ah? What 'ah'? O-sam ground his teeth, swallowing rage.
“……Grr, go tell him properly.”
“Yes sir!”
The beggar dashed off again. The trader glanced between them, waved again. Beggar back.
This fucking idiot……!
O-sam couldn't take it. He grabbed his staff and stormed over.
“Wait, Branch Chief!”
Thwack!
“Stay out, moron!”
O-sam decked the beggar and loomed menacingly before the trader.
“You little shit, know who I am?!”
“……”
No response. Then the trader squinted sideways at him.
Hah, fuck. Dry eyes, yet O-sam's legs shivered. Pride stung; he puffed his chest and bellowed.
“I'm O-sam, Xi'an Branch Chief of the Beggar Clan, you punk!”
He thrust out his four knots. Normal jianghu folk would pale in shock.
But the trader grimaced like he'd tasted shit.
“What the fuck you want, Xi'an beggar scum?!”
“……”
What? This reaction?
Weapons meant jianghu ties. Didn't know the Clan? Clan beggars weren't to be fucked with. Sure, ten thousand beggars, but their info was the real power.
This guy knew martial arts but zilch about jianghu life. Smooth skin screamed no hard labor.
“You cocky little……”
“Hey, beggar. Scram while I'm nice. Before I smash that staff and your bowl.”
The trader waved dismissively. O-sam's patience snapped.
“Today I catch a dog and uphold jianghu justice.”
“Whatever, idiot.”
O-sam infused qi into his staff and swung. Teach this greenhorn a hot les—
Thud!
“?!”
The trader blocked his seven-tenths strike—with the scabbard. Yawned like it was nothing.
“That all?”
“……”
Then his eyes gleamed, wrist spinning.
“You started it, beggar.”
Something wrong—
“……Wait!”
“Sorry don't cut it……”
“Not that! What's your name!”
“Why's a beggar wanna know?”
“Scared of the Clan's future hope?”
O-sam flailed; the trader snickered.
“Bullshit……”
Then boldly.
“Jin Sowoon.”
Jin Sowoon, huh. Pfft, slavemonger name…… Huh?
“Jin…… Sowoon? ……Black Flame Dragon?!”
“Black Flame…… yeah, that's me, punk.”
He'd longed to meet Jin Sowoon. But this vibe was way off. Especially those four beside him.
“……”
The “slaves” eyed him with deep pity. O-sam's heart pounded.
Fuck, I'm screwed.