50 Ways to Enchant Old Monsters (2)
“Uh…… young hero, seems like you’re misunderstanding something. We’re not the type to just pay a membership fee and join anywhere.”
“Then what kind of people are you?”
“We’re the sort who used to throw our weight around in the murim back in the day.”
This old man. Just like friends with that one-armed geezer over there, trying to pull some scam.
“Stronger than Father?”
“The Martial God is outside the scope of discussion.”
Ilseon Dosa’s face twisted. Probably because it was a familiar question he’d heard just a day ago.
“Stronger than the Heavenly Demon, then?”
“Haha, the Heavenly Demon’s going too far.”
“Then you’re nothing special.”
Mujikja’s face was starting to look more and more like Ilseon Dosa’s.
Ilseon Dosa patted Mujikja’s shoulder.
“And!”
At my words, the two old men with matching expressions turned back to me.
“I’m saying again, you old timers have half-baked martial arts. I’ve got a conscience, you know—think I’d just take your money and run? Pay up, and I’ll fix your martial arts for you too.”
In that instant, seriousness settled on Mujikja and Ilseon Dosa’s faces. Just yesterday, they would’ve brushed it off as the ravings of some lunatic.
Suspicious, but he definitely caught the herbal scent.
This was thanks to the Yang-ui Simgong.
Burnt scent too.
That was from the Great Returning Pill. Of course, they had no idea.
Setting all that aside, Namgung Daeso had already left a strong impression on them. He’d seen right through what they couldn’t in one glance. And with that single insight, they’d climbed a whole level after stagnating for over a decade.
“R-Really?”
“W-What did you see in us?”
I smirked at them both.
They’re almost hooked. My 200 nyang.
I cleared my throat and spoke.
“I’m saying again, can’t tell you for free. If you were my people, maybe, but…… Just pay 100 nyang in silver each, simple as that.”
100 nyang in silver. For ordinary folk, that’s a lifetime’s savings. Maybe Namgung Daeso was asking too much.
But this was the amount he’d calculated meticulously. Taking people in wasn’t just about loyalty. You had to feed them, clothe them, house them, handle any messes…… Reality demanded it.
Besides, Mujikja and Ilseon Dosa had never suffered for money in their lives. Back in their heyday, 100 nyang was pocket change any merchant guild would toss their way just for showing up. That was before the world changed five times over, of course.
“Haha, young hero. We’ve got some skills, you know?”
“So, stronger than the Heavenly Demon?”
“No, does your head only have the Heavenly Demon and Martial God in the murim?”
“Yep.”
Straight answer.
“Amitabha. Say something, kid! Don’t just stand there.”
Frustrated, Mujikja snapped at Ilseon Dosa. Ilseon Dosa patted his shoulder understandingly and spoke up.
“We get your offer, young hero. But we need some assurance. Tell us what we’re lacking, and we’ll scrape together 100 nyang—or even 1,000.”
Mujikja stared at Ilseon Dosa in shock. He hadn’t asked for help with money. And as far as he knew, Ilseon Dosa didn’t have a single coin to his name. Hadn’t he blown all the pay from working at Namgung Sega on booze that very day?
How do I know? I was the one drinking with him. Naturally, Mujikja had blown his share too.
Ugh…… But do you really have the money?
Quiet. Let’s hear the kid out first.
100 nyang in silver. Not a small sum.
What’s money? We sneak into that gate over there and loot it.
Amitabha.
Mujikja let out a sigh and thought,
You genius.
The gathering place of all geniuses, prodigies, and scholars of the world: Namgung Sega.
Ten years living at Namgung, and I can’t handle something this simple?
What were they muttering? Couldn’t hear well. Anyway, I answered the question.
“I’ll give you a little hint. Let’s go outside. You can move, right?”
“Of course!”
“Actually, we were fine a while ago.”
* * *
Outside.
Ilhyang said, “Looks like the talk’s dragging on.”
Ihyang followed up. “How did those three even meet?”
Samhyang spoke. “But aren’t you hungry?”
Ilhyang and Ihyang quickly replied.
“A bit.”
“Me too.”
Samhyang pulled out the healing pills Namgung Daeso had given her.
“Should we eat these?”
“Those are from the youngest young master. What if he asks for them later?”
“We’ll just grab extras from the room. There’s tons left anyway. Talk’s gonna take forever—let’s eat!”
It had been two hours since Namgung Daeso started chatting with Ilseon Dosa and Mujikja. Meaning the girls had been waiting outside obediently(?) for two hours too.
“Should we just eat? They looked fine when I saw the old men earlier.”
“The doctor said after a check-up and a good sleep, they’d be okay.”
“Yeah, let’s eat!”
“Eat!”
“Eat now!”
Just as they all reached to peel the paper off the Hwandan pills—
“W-Wait!!!”
Someone was sprinting toward them from afar.
“Stop right now!”
Ihyang spotted the approaching figure and spoke.
“Doctor grandpa?”
Ilhyang flinched. Sinui arrived and snatched the Hwandan from their hands like it was his.
“Hah…… I had a hunch from the familiar smell, but these are Cheong-a Pills!”
Samhyang nodded first. “Yes.”
“How the hell do you girls have these?!”
Sinui had given the Cheong-a Pills to none other than Namgung Hancheol himself. Priceless treasures, essentially. So why were they in the hands of the youngest young master’s maids?
“We got them.”
“From who?”
That’s when—
“Looks like today’s my lucky day.”
Namgung Je-cheon was strolling over leisurely.
Sinui’s eyes widened again. It was because of the wooden box Namgung Je-cheon carried—very familiar.
No, that’s……!
Yi Han even used a foot technique he rarely employed to reach Namgung Je-cheon and snatch the box.
“Hah…… No doubt about it. This is the box I used to store the Cheong-a Pills back then.”
But it was too light. Like it was empty.
Yi Han looked at Namgung Je-cheon. “Why’s this so light? Where’d everything inside go?”
Namgung Je-cheon beamed. “I ate it.”
“Do you even know what this is……?”
“Cheong-a Pills, right? Says so on the box. Eyes getting dim already? Oh, makes sense at your age.”
“Haha.”
Yi Han let out a faint chuckle. Passing by the maids, he realized the scent clinging to them wasn’t his imagination.
How many did they eat to smell like this?
Five? Seven? Ten? Even the creator of the Cheong-a Pills couldn’t guess. He’d never dared imagine.
Yi Han held the empty box over Namgung Je-cheon’s head. For some reason, it made his scalp tingle. Felt familiar, like that one room.
Namgung Je-cheon quickly spoke up. “Uh…… There’s an identical one in the herb storage. You want some too, Doctor grandpa? Just say the word—I’ll sneak one out for you.”
“Haha.”
Crack.
The wood splintered in Yi Han’s grip on the box.
“Hey, I said I’d give you one! Why come at me like this?!”
Sensing the weird vibe, Namgung Je-cheon darted behind Ilhyang.
“Fine, let’s hear the story first.”
Yi Han barely calmed his killing intent(?) and asked.
“Why you had this, and why these maids reek of Cheong-a Pills.”
Ilhyang, Ihyang, and Samhyang couldn’t keep up. The youngest young master and two old men having their secret chat, telling them to wait outside. Then Doctor grandpa and the deputy strategist show up with cryptic talk. Then the deputy’s story continues, and Doctor grandpa’s face turns red then blue in a mystical display.
“I see. It was all because of you.”
As the deputy strategist finished, Sinui spoke in a heavy, low voice and raised the box high again—
Click.
That’s when Namgung Daeso, Ilseon Dosa, and Mujikja emerged from the medical hall.
Ilhyang, Ihyang, and Samhyang lit up like saviors had arrived and rushed to Namgung Daeso.
“Young master!”
I gave a simple smile to my overenthusiastic maid sisters, then nodded at Sinui and Namgung Je-cheon.
“What’re you two up to?”
“Young master!”
Namgung Je-cheon scurried behind me. Sinui followed, subtly hiding the wooden box behind his back.
“You two look fine now.”
Yi Han addressed the two old men behind me first.
They bowed their heads. “Thank you. We’ll be on our way, rested up thanks to you.”
“Sorry for the trouble.”
The old men outranked and outaged Sinui, but he treated them as equals. To him, they were just patients.
“Good thing. Still, you should rest in bed a day.”
“No can do. Urgent business came up.”
“Fair enough. I’ve got urgent business too.”
As their chat wrapped, Namgung Je-cheon tugged my clothes. He had the face of a dog desperate to poop.
What’s with this guy now?
Only four days since I last saw him, and he’d gone even crazier. I told the maid sisters to head back to the annex first.
“Sis, you go ahead. Gotta talk more with these folks.”
“Got it, youngest young master.”
They smiled brightly, using formal speech unusually—probably awkward in front of Sinui.
Now just this lunatic left. I said to Sinui,
“Looks like you wanna have a deep chat with this nutjob. Right?”
“Spot on.”
I handed Namgung Je-cheon over like luggage.
“Young master? Please, nooo!”
Namgung Je-cheon clung to my arm desperately—the most frantic I’d seen him. Sinui pried him off and dragged him away. Whatever it was, felt refreshing—like tying up loose ends neatly.
* * *
I led the two old men to a quiet nearby spot. Mujikja spoke right away, like he’d been waiting.
“Tell me quick. What am I lacking?”
“Remember what I told you before?”
“Of course.”
Mujikja remembered clearly. That it was overdone.
“Show me any martial art you know. I’ll point out what’s wrong.”
I wanted to show off some flashy technique like others and critique him, but sadly, I didn’t know any. Still, like before, I felt like I’d know just by watching.
“Fine.”
Mujikja drew the sword from his side—thought it was just ornamental. Teeth were missing here and there. My face crumpled pitifully.
No money for a new sword……
Mujikja began tracing a single form in the air.
Haha, the kid’s serious.
Ilseon Dosa instantly recognized the technique. He acknowledged the kid’s eye for martial arts but couldn’t tolerate hearing his own called sloppy.
Let’s see if you can spot it.
If it was true, he’d rip out a pillar from his own mountain for the fee!
The chipped sword moved smoothly. A single sword art permitted only to those with exceptional sword talent even in Wudang: the Hyegeom.