Chapter 41
Ganghoin hurried away from the Black Cat Clan, using Light Body Skill as quickly as possible. He feared that the crazy bastard might change his mind and order her to be brought back. Because he couldn't predict Fake Martial Brother's thoughts, his fear of Fake Martial Brother grew even as he fled.
Naturally, his steps led him to a place he thought would be beyond the reach of the Black Cat Clan.
After running fiercely for a long time, Ganghoin frowned and gradually slowed down his Light Body Skill. At that moment, a word suddenly popped into his head.
'Diarrhea?'
Following diarrhea, another word came to mind.
'Could it be?'
They say that 'could it be' can ruin a person. As if diarrhea and 'could it be' had formed an unpleasant alliance, his stomach churned, and a drop of sweat trickled down his forehead.
'Why here of all places? Is it because of the Gu Poison?'
Ganghoin walked for a while, his hand on his stomach.
Gu Poison comes in many forms, but most involve worms growing inside the victim's body after a certain amount of time. The principle is that if the antidote doesn't kill the worms, the victim dies.
The reason why this terrifying poison isn't widely used is simple: it's very difficult to make. However, Ganghoin didn't know Fake Martial Brother's true nature, so he couldn't simply dismiss the Gu Poison as fake.
Because his life was at stake.
That's why the sudden surge of abdominal pain was even more disconcerting. He had never taken Gu Poison before, so he didn't know that diarrhea was a side effect. But since he had taken poison on an empty stomach, it seemed natural that his stomach would hurt so much.
Ganghoin swallowed hard, looking around and twisting his body this way and that.
'Please... please... I'll live a good life. Please...'
He couldn't find a bathroom.
About to burst into tears of frustration, Ganghoin quickly composed himself. He felt like he would soil himself even faster if he started crying. He struggled to hold onto his fading consciousness, desperately searching for a bathroom or a secluded thicket.
Every time he did, a peddler or two would pass by like a ghost, giving Ganghoin strange looks. Each time, Ganghoin would blush bright red and use Light Body Skill to get away.
'Please... someone help me.'
He stopped using Light Body Skill again in sparsely populated areas.
Because he might soil himself while running.
On a deserted road, Ganghoin took a deep breath and simultaneously tightened his sphincter. If he hadn't trained in Martial arts, he would have already soiled himself. In any case, Ganghoin barely managed to avert disaster thanks to the resistance of his rigorously trained body.
At that moment, Ganghoin saw someone running towards him from the direction he had come, kicking up a cloud of dust.
A truly swift speed.
Ganghoin thought that while his own Light Body Skill was quite good, he wouldn't be able to win even on a good day.
A man dressed in neat White Clothes from head to toe glanced at him as he passed by in an instant.
Ganghoin swallowed once as the man passed.
'A master.'
Just then, the Man in White, who had stopped his Light Body Skill a short distance away, asked Ganghoin,
"Miss, is something wrong? You look very pale."
Hearing the truly weighty baritone voice, Ganghoin hesitated before replying in a tired voice.
"Poison..."
Ganghoin was startled as soon as he spoke.
'Ah, what am I doing?'
The other person was from the Martial World, how could he carelessly blurt out that he was poisoned? Regardless, Ganghoin was in such bad shape that he spoke out of desperation.
"I'm... looking for a bathroom."
The man strode over and said with a serious expression,
"To summarize, you're poisoned and urgently looking for a bathroom? Quickly, get on my back. I happen to be on my way to my favorite place, and if you don't want to take care of it in the mountains, I'll take you there quickly. You look very pale. Quickly..."
The man showed his back with an attitude that didn't suspect Ganghoin at all. He was a very bold man.
Ganghoin wondered if he was planning to let him launch a surprise attack and asked,
"Is it close?"
"I'll run at full speed."
"Please."
Ganghoin got on the man's back and tightened his sphincter. If he hadn't been diligent in his training, he would have soiled himself the moment he got on his back.
The man ran like a wild horse and said,
"Hold on tight."
The scenery around him passed quickly as Ganghoin barely managed to answer with a frown.
"Thank you."
It was a really incredible speed, but the man's voice was calm throughout.
"You can overcome any crisis if you stay calm."
A short time later, the man entered a neighborhood with small shops scattered here and there, and after quickly passing through a construction site, he threw Ganghoin down as soon as he arrived at the bathroom behind his favorite shop.
"Go in quickly. I'll be in the shop, so take your time..."
Ganghoin finally entered with a pale face. As soon as the man disappeared, Ganghoin took off his pants and solved the crisis, and couldn't help but admire the man's consideration once again. The sound was so loud because it was diarrhea.
Without a doubt, it was a moment that could be called a crisis in his life.
Ganghoin thought, holding his nose.
'I'm grateful, but I don't think I can look him in the face.'
Ganghoin shed a tear without realizing it. He didn't know why he was crying. The sound of splashing continued to be loud from below. Ganghoin felt like he was about to burst into uncontrollable sobs due to an unknown emotion, so he put his fist in his mouth and barely held back his tears.
Still, he thought it was a relief.
When the splashing sound subsided, Ganghoin had a resigned expression on his face.
"Life, there's nothing to it."
* * *
Ganghoin, who had completely escaped the crisis, strolled around the neighborhood until the smell on his body disappeared, occasionally exhaling long breaths to calm his breathing.
He felt like he was regaining his senses.
Ganghoin, who had been deliberately keeping his distance and looking around the neighborhood, peeked inside, lingering in front of the shop where he had used the bathroom.
The Man in White was eating something with his back turned, occasionally raising his head to talk to the shop owner.
After much deliberation, Ganghoin opened the door and entered the shop, having gained the realization that there was nothing to life.
The normal-looking Man in White turned his head and asked in a calm tone,
"Are you alright?"
The shop owner bowed his head.
"Welcome."
Ganghoin replied,
"Yes, I'm better thanks to you. Thank you so much."
Suddenly, Ganghoin reached for the Money Pouch in his arms, intending to thank him, but realized belatedly that it had been taken away by the Black Cat Clan.
'Oh, no...'
Seeing this, the Man in White said,
"It's alright. If you're feeling better, have a bowl of warm noodles before you go. The broth is clear, so it'll soothe your stomach."
"It's alright. I don't want to eat right now."
"I won't force you."
Ganghoin felt like all the strength was draining from his legs, so he sat down on a chair for a moment. As the Man in White slurped his noodles again, the owner said,
"Were you starving? You're eating well. Wait a minute."
The Man in White replied,
"Oh, can I look forward to it?"
The owner came out of the kitchen with a warm expression and placed a large, greasy chunk of meat on the Man in White's table.
The Man in White rubbed his palms together and said,
"I've struck gold. There's no better delicacy than eating this with the broth."
"Eat a lot. I would have used it for soup if you hadn't come today. You're lucky when it comes to food."
"I know, I have a miserable life, so I have to have luck with food."
Ganghoin stared at the meat coated in oil and unknowingly swallowed, asking,
"What is that? I should come back and try it sometime."
The owner said to Ganghoin,
"It's Pork Backbone."
The Man in White tore off a piece of meat with his bare hands and looked at Ganghoin, saying as if to make him remember,
"Pork Backbone."
"I see."
The owner said as if he was going to be generous,
"Don't do that. Have a taste."
Ganghoin waved his hand.
"No, I'm not..."
"Oh, it's alright. You have to taste it to come back again."
The owner took the Pork Backbone out of the kitchen and placed it on Ganghoin's table in a small bowl.
"Eat it with your hands. Don't use chopsticks. It's already seasoned, so don't dip it in anything. Grab both ends of the bone and tear it off."
Ganghoin felt his mouth watering and replied,
"Oh, you didn't have to give it to me."
Was this really the woman who had relieved herself so thoroughly in the bathroom a little while ago? Ganghoin began to tear off the Pork Backbone. The owner and the Man in White turned their gazes away as if they didn't want to put pressure on him, and chatted among themselves.
"Anything happen?"
"What could happen? It was so quiet all of a sudden that I was bored."
"It's good to be bored."
"I guess so. How about you?"
"Ah, there's no place like home. I have no appetite. People are so cunning. There are so many sly old foxes, young and old."
"But it seems to suit you."
Meanwhile, Ganghoin was tearing off all the meat from the Pork Backbone and sucking on the small pieces of meat left on the bone. He had emptied his stomach completely, so he must have actually been hungry.
The owner finally said a word,
"Is it delicious?"
Ganghoin couldn't express it in words, so he gave a thumbs up.
The owner smiled.
"Come often. But Pork Backbone isn't available every day. Try the noodles then. The soup is good too."
Ganghoin nodded with oil all over his lips, and looked around the shabby shop.
"So this is a hidden gem."
"Please note that the shop may disappear if you come too late."
Ganghoin asked,
"Ah, are you moving?"
The owner pointed outside and asked,
"Didn't you see the construction site on your way here?"
"I saw it."
"We're moving there when it's completed."
"Ah, something huge was being built there. What is it?"
The owner smiled and replied,
"A guest house is being built quite large. It will be a landmark in this neighborhood."
Ganghoin widened his eyes and replied,
"Wow, the guest house is that big? That's amazing. This was a rich neighborhood?"
The Man in White took out a Money Pouch from his pocket and handed three Silver Coin to the owner. The expression of the seemingly naive owner immediately brightened.
"Wow, you have to succeed to be someone."
"Does this settle all the old debts?"
"And then some. Hahaha."
Ganghoin thought that the Man in White was generous, but like a thief, he didn't miss the shape of the Money Pouch returning to his pocket.
At that moment, Ganghoin's expression hardened.
"......"
In the midst of the silence, Ganghoin's swallowing sound rang out, gulp. At that gulp, the Man in White slowly turned his head and looked at Ganghoin silently.
"......"
Only then did Ganghoin check the Man in White's eyes again.
"Could it be?"
They say that 'could it be' can ruin a person. Jang Deuk-su, who didn't know what was going on, looked back and forth between the two and asked,
"But what is the relationship between you two?"
The Man in White called Ganghoin in a calm expression and a subdued voice.
"Martial Sister."
The moment Ganghoin heard the words 'Martial Sister', he experienced Purple Haze Gu Poison, Fake Martial Brother, diarrhea, bathroom, splash, Pork Backbone, Money Pouch, and several scenes and voices overlapping in an instant, and fainted as it was. A momentary Juhwa-ibma state.
Even in the midst of that, a very faint consciousness remained as small as a rat's droppings. At this time, Fake Martial Brother's voice was heard whispering nearby.
"...Ten days left."
Then Ganghoin's consciousness was properly cut off.