The Birth of the Nangnang Secret Manual
"Instead, don't go around blabbing every fun story you hear in front of everyone."
"Yeah, yeah. I'm listening well. Really."
"Even if you hear something amazing, tell me or Sin-yu first... and only share it with the kids after we both say it's okay. Got it?"
"S-Sin-yu too?"
Mae Sin-yu had just scolded him in front of everyone and stormed off moments ago. Danmok Gyu hesitated a bit, but Seo Geuk-rim said firmly,
"Yes, Sin-yu too."
"Got it... Then you'll really tell me, right? The heart method?"
"I can tell you, but I doubt you'll understand it. It's not that different from what Pharmacy Master Dang taught you."
"Yeah, yeah! That's fine, that's fine."
"And didn't the young lady write that letter she gave you on the first day? Weren't there things in there?"
"Huh? I don't remember..."
"Read that first. It's all helpful stuff she wrote down."
"Like a secret manual or something? It did feel like that kind of content."
Seo Geuk-rim scratched his cheek. Thinking about it that way, it wasn't entirely wrong. It was writing about the intricacies and achievements of martial arts. The unique part was that it was perfectly tailored one-on-one?
"Yeah, sure. Like a secret manual. A secret manual written by the young lady."
"I see. Guess I need to read it again."
Thus, the Nangnang Secret Manual was born.
* * *
I never imagined it would come to this.
Baek Ui-myeong swallowed dryly, glancing at Danmok Jun, who was sticking to his side with wide, sparkling eyes.
"This is driving me crazy..."
"S-Sir! I'll do anything you ask!"
"Fine then."
*I'll head home.* The words rose to the tip of his tongue but sank back down. Seeing that desperate expression, he couldn't bring himself to say it.
Baek Ui-myeong shrugged his shoulders dramatically and trudged onward. Just moments ago, he'd been practicing stealth techniques with enthusiasm, but now he wanted to scream his misery to the whole world.
*'Why did it end up like this?'*
Following that boy's orders on the elder's command—Baek Ui-myeong had started calling that rejuvenated old master "elder" in his mind—had gotten him this far, and that was fine. Honestly, there had been plenty of moments along the way that nearly broke his spirit.
It started when they left Hangzhou.
*You didn't say we'd have to go this far! All I brought was enough money for a drink at a street stall.*
Still, he'd grudgingly followed. Without a word on when they'd return, he'd emptied his room at Huanbi Tower, even sending an expensive messenger bird.
And after chasing after this kid...
—You're out, and only the Seo girl is in?
—Didn't I tell you over and over to do well!
—You couldn't even manage that one thing—what were you planning to do!
—And kicked out by the main family? What nonsense is this! Who told you to do something like that!
Smack!
Even Baek Ui-myeong had been shocked. The grandfather figure didn't even bring the child, who'd returned from a long journey, into the inner chambers. Instead, he left him standing in the chilly autumn wind outside and slapped him across the face. Then he urged a servant to fetch a whip.
And then he swung that thick wooden staff with all his might? He beat the kid so hard he couldn't even scream—how could anyone just watch?
—Whoaaaak! Stop! Stop!
Baek Ui-myeong, who'd been watching from hiding, jumped right in. He blocked the descending staff with his body, and thanks to the elder's acupuncture treatment earlier making him feel like he could fly, it didn't even hurt.
The bloodied young boy, accustomed to submission, stared at him in a daze.
*'That crazy old man's got some real strength.'*
Even after Baek Ui-myeong suddenly intervened, the grandfather exploded in rage. From "Who the hell is this mongrel?" to "Throw out all these useless bastards!"—chaos erupted, and amid it all, this boy.
—S-Sir... I don't need this shitty house either!
And now here they were.
"This is driving me crazy..."
*'The elder didn't send me for this.'*
The boy's lip was bleeding from how hard he'd been slapped, and he glared at his grandfather with venom in his eyes, but the old man didn't blink. Behind him stood a scrawny little girl, shoulders hunched as if intimidated.
Baek Ui-myeong pieced it all together in an instant. The family had pinned their hopes on the eldest, been disappointed, and shifted to the second child. After the chaos settled somehow, the boy approached him with eyes stained by wounds, hatred, and confusion, clinging desperately.
Baek Ui-myeong was stunned. He could tell without asking. No one in this household had ever stepped up for this kid before.
*'What the hell do the parents do around here?'*
That's why this child was looking at a total stranger with such desperate eyes, just because he'd protected him once.
—I'll really do anything you say. Anywhere's fine, please just take me with you...!
He begged to be taken away, ignoring all pleas, scoldings, and shouts. The boy's parents and grandfather had no intention of coming after him. Instead, the second child had run out to Baek Ui-myeong and Danmok Jun, prompting the parents to chase after in this cold weather, dressed in just thin outer robes, searching for the youngest.
Baek Ui-myeong had tried saying something about beating the child like that, but all he got was "Don't meddle in other families' affairs."
The parents dragged the sobbing sister—who insisted on staying with her brother—back home, leaving Danmok Jun behind. But the mother had secretly slipped Baek Ui-myeong a pouch before hurriedly taking her daughter and husband away.
Danmok Jun had just trembled, watching them go.
*'Sending him back to a house that tries to beat a kid to death over a failed exam... honestly, that's not something a person should do.'*
And so, unable to refuse properly, they'd ended up here.
"You'll regret this. No matter how garbage your grand... family is, having one is different from not."
"What about you, sir? Do you have family?"
"...No, I don't either... But mine was unavoidable, yours isn't."
"Even without parents or family, I can be like you?"
"You little punk, listen to me!"
"Then I wanna be like you."
At that moment, Baek Ui-myeong glared at Danmok Jun seriously.
"You idiot! Do you even know what being like me means? No proper meridians because no parents, learned from shady places, meridians twisted, barely scraping by on external arts all this time!"
He'd pretended to be confident in front of others, acted like he lacked nothing, like it was enough—but if it were true, he wouldn't have needed to fake it and shout "I'm fine!" everywhere.
It wasn't fine. The lack gnawed at him, envy for the haves unbearable, so he'd lived that way. Stealing from the clueless young lady's pouch and fooling them, chuckling to himself that he was superior...
Hearing Baek Ui-myeong's words, Danmok Jun's eyes welled up red, glaring back as he clenched his fists and started punching his own stomach.
"Hngh! Urk!"
"N-No! Hey! You brat, are you crazy?!"
"If I don't have you, sir, then I don't need my dantian either!"
"You're gonna make me lose it. Of course you need it! I got mine! Just recently!"
"...?"
After the long journey back, beaten by his grandfather, on the verge of being abandoned even by the adult he'd chased after—Danmok Jun looked up at him blankly.
Baek Ui-myeong rubbed his face repeatedly and said,
"Listen well. I'm not here to protect you."
"..."
"I came to watch you, make sure you don't do anything weird."
"Me... do something weird?"
"Yeah. Did you pull something during the exam?"
He'd already figured out this kid was tangled up in the Danmok family's recent branch recruitment. And that he'd caused trouble there. His elder was connected to the Danmok family too.
Under Baek Ui-myeong's questioning, Danmok Jun fidgeted before confessing honestly.
"I... fed him meat."
"What meat to who?"
"Spoiled chicken... to Seo Geuk-rim, the top qualifier type..."
"What?!"
"B-But if I didn't pass first place, Grandpa would get mad..."
"No, even so, how could you..."
He'd wanted to kill someone now and then, even thought about poison, but never actually done it. He'd just beaten them up later after getting stronger.
*'No wonder the elder wanted me to watch him!'*
Still, part of him understood Danmok Jun's desperation. Knowing he'd get beaten with that staff if he didn't place first.
Not that feeding spoiled meat was right, of course.
As Baek Ui-myeong just breathed, Danmok Jun quickly lowered his eyes and mumbled,
"I did wrong..."