Episode 31. Please help me a little.
The first person who felt something was strange was Han Chae-yeon.
Han Chae-yeon brought up the story to her closest friend, Ha So-baek.
“Listening to what you said, I think so too. It definitely seems like my brother has changed a bit these days.”
“Right? That’s right. Don’t you remember the day we fought that guy called the Green Lion a few days ago? He suddenly started wiggling his fingers like this and said, ‘Hello?’”
Han Chae-yeon folded and unfolded her fingers in front of Ha So-baek.
“Well, that’s true. Do you think they thought of joking around while they were fighting?”
“That too, suddenly.”
Ha So-baek nodded and said as if it didn’t matter.
“Sister, isn’t that better than being bored?”
“Ugh, I’m a little scared of that kind of joke. It’s not something you’d say while cutting a hole in your palm.”
“So, are you afraid of your older brother?”
“Who’s scared of your brother? That kind of prank is strange. It’s because he’s not used to doing that.”
“Haa! I wish my brother would play a prank on me too.”
At that moment, Yeonjeokha’s voice was heard from behind.
“What kind of joke is this?”
“Whoa!”
“Oh my! This is a surprise!”
The two women who had been sitting on the floor suddenly stood up.
Yeonjeokha sat down next to Hasobaek and asked again.
“You want me to play a prank on you? What kind of pranks do you like?”
“No, I was just saying this because I was bored these days.”
Hasobaek blushed and sat down quietly.
“Are you bored since you don’t have to fight when you go hiking?”
“That’s not it.”
Hasobaek waved his hands violently.
To be honest, Ha So-baek was happiest during these times when he didn’t have to wield a knife.
After fighting the warriors from above, I felt heavy-hearted and couldn’t sleep well.
“If you’re bored, practice martial arts more. I tried it and found that it’s endless. That’s what martial arts is.”
Han Chae-yeon said, glancing at Yeon Jeok-ha.
“Wow! Even a master like you, Uncle, is endless? Then it’s really serious.”
“What’s serious?”
“If that’s the case for you, Brother, then there’s no hope for lowlifes like us.”
“You know one thing about this girl, but you don’t know the other two. There’s a story I heard from my Taoist grandfather. Do you know what it is?”
“What is it?”
The two women’s sparkling eyes turned towards Yeonjeokha.
Then Yeonjeokha said with a slightly hesitant expression.
“That is exactly what is meant by ‘rejecting the will of the king’.”
“yes?”
“What does that mean?”
“When you reach the end of martial arts, everything is the same. There are many ways to climb to the top of Mt. Obong, right? But there is only one summit. Right?”
“yes.”
The two women answered in unison.
“Whether that Taoist grandfather gets to the top through his martial arts, or whether I get to the top through hard work, or whether you two get to the top through Baekjagugyeol and Ilcho Geomchik, the result is the same.”
Han Chae-yeon muttered, pouting her lips.
“Hey, I don’t think so.”
“me too.”
Hasobaek also shook his head.
Yeonjeokha hurriedly made an excuse.
“No, it wasn’t me. It was the Taoist old man. You two know how knowledgeable the Taoist old man is. So don’t be too disappointed.”
The two women thought deeply about what Yeonjeokha had said.
In fact, he’s been a bit more mischievous these days, but he’s not the type to talk nonsense.
Then, as if a memory suddenly occurred to her, Han Chae-yeon opened her mouth.
“Brother, do you know that? Brother, you became a lot brighter after meeting Cheonjisangin?”
“I?”
Yeonjeokha tilted her head.
I wonder why he became brighter when he hasn’t changed much.
Hasobaek blurted out a word.
“You play a lot of pranks, don’t you?”
“when?”
Han Chae-yeon stuck out two fingers in front of Yeon Jeok-ha’s eyes and spoke while wiggling them.
“Hello. Nice to meet you. My name is Han Chae-yeon.”
“Ahaha.”
A forced smile escaped Yeonjeokha’s mouth.
Han Chae-yeon hung on persistently.
“Do you admit it?”
“Okay, I get it. I was a bit harsh. Okay?”
“Oh, I’m not saying anything. I just think it’s nice to see your brother brighten up.”
“Me too. What did you do with the merchant? It seems like you come here every day drenched in sweat.”
“I learned a lot.”
Then, Hasobaek opened his eyes wide in surprise.
“Huh? That’s ridiculous. That Taoist is weaker than my brother, and he learned it?”
“Tsk tsk! You guys don’t know anything. Do you see that tree over there?”
“yes.”
“That tree’s strength is that it is straight and solid. Unlike the grass growing underneath it. But think about a typhoon. Strength can become weakness. On the contrary, weakness can become strength. Strength and weakness are like yin and yang, taking turns, complementing each other. In fact, that’s how they last.”
These are all words spoken by the merchants of heaven and earth.
“So, even though my brother is a tree and Cheonjisangin is a grass, there’s no point in discussing strength between the two. Is that roughly what you mean?”
Hasobaek still has a puzzled look on his face.
Unlike Yeon Jeok-ha, who had studied up to elementary school, it was a bit difficult for her, who had only read the Thousand Character Classic.
“Similar. Not all strong people are strong, and not all weak people are weak.”
“Yes, I think I know a little bit.”
“me too.”
Han Chae-young and Ha So-baek nodded.
At that moment, the eighth Lee Cheol-san came walking across the yard at a brisk pace.
“Brother Yeon, my older brother asked me to come to Sanghwagak.”
“What’s going on?”
“I have something to discuss at the Green Forest Conference. You two should come with me. My brother has called all of the Five Bongsipgeol.”
The three people followed Mt. Icheolsan to Sanghwagak.
***
Sanghwagak.
The five great heroes gathered together for the first time in a while.
Chaeju Poongyeoncho, who was looking at her younger siblings with pleased eyes, said.
“As you know, I asked you to gather for the Green Forest Competition. Shim Noje said that we must leave within three days at the latest so as not to be late.”
He asked as if he was curious about the debt holder’s name.
“But big brother, it’s good to go, but shouldn’t someone from among us stay behind and guard the mountain? We’ll have to take the family on a hike too.”
“I called you to decide that anyway. Who do you think you should keep?”
“Brother, if there’s someone who wants to stay, tell them to stay.”
Poongyeoncho nodded and asked his brothers.
“Did you all hear? It would be good if all five of the Five Bongsipgeol left, but it would be better to leave at least one person to guard the mountain village. Is there anyone among you who would like to stay in the mountain village?”
Everyone just pretended not to want to go.
Even Yeon-jeok-ha, who usually hates to squirm, did not support him.
“It seems like there’s no one who wants to stay behind… … .”
Poongyeoncho scratched his head as if he was feeling stuffy.
Since we are all sworn brothers, it is difficult to force someone if they say they don’t want to, which makes it even more of a headache.
At that moment, the third brother, Ma Hyeong-do, opened his mouth.
“Big brother, isn’t it necessary for one of our five-legged brothers to remain? Why not leave the experienced Sim Noje to lead the way and tell the Hwang family to guard it?”
“Should we leave the mountain vegetables to Hwang Yeo-myeong?”
“Yes, anyway, with his talents, he won’t be able to do anything else.”
Well, if it was Nomadu Simyanggak, then maybe it would be possible, but it would be impossible for someone like Hwang Yeomyeong. The other bandits who know Yeonjeokha’s incompetence would know to protect themselves.
Poongyeoncho’s complexion brightened.
When I thought about it that way, there was nothing to worry about.
“Okay, I think that’ll work. What do you think?”
“Yes, it seems okay.”
Only then did the other five Bongsipgeol members, who had been watching closely, chime in one by one.
“Should I do that?”
“I don’t think it’s a good idea to leave one person behind.”
“If I were left alone, I would be so anxious that I wouldn’t be able to sleep.”
“That’s true.”
Poongyeoncho nodded while listening to her brothers’ words.
“Then, let’s have all of us, the Five Bongsipgeols, go to the Green Forest Competition. So, Yeon-ah?”
“yes?”
“No, no.”
Poongyeoncho tried to ask Yeonjeokha to ‘refrain from fighting as much as possible during the Green Forest Competition’, but stopped. It was not something that could be done just by making a promise, and he did not want to make Yeonjeokha feel uncomfortable with unnecessary words.
***
The speech of the eastern part of Luoyang.
Waryongjang.
As soon as Waryongjang opened its doors, ronin who admired the swordsmanship of the True Moon Swordsman Yeon Mu-ryong flocked to the store. This was thanks to Baek Mi-ju who had quietly spread the rumor that she would teach the swordsmanship of the True Moon Swordsman to outside disciples.
It was impossible to become a disciple of the Chilpai clan or the Odaese clan without some connections. Compared to that, becoming a disciple of the Waryong clan was like eating cold porridge. It was natural that the ronin would flock to them.
Yeon Mi-ju sent her eldest son, Yeon Mu-baek, as ambassador and taught the nine thousand ways to the ronin. Of course, she did not reveal all the old methods to them.
First, the Ronin were divided into three groups according to their talent and loyalty. The Heavenly Group, with high loyalty, taught meat, the Earthly Group taught four-course meals, and the last In Group even taught this food.
Naegongsimbeop taught the Waryongsimbeop created by the Yeon clan’s ancestors. It was superior to the Samjaesimbeop that was circulating in the market, so the ronin liked it.
As summer came, the number of disciples belonging to Waryongjang Samdan increased to a whopping fifty.
As the number of disciples increased, Waryongjang had no choice but to consider expanding his business, because he needed money to feed, clothe, and house over fifty people.
Waryongjang Anchae.
The landlady Baek Mi-ju and the general manager Yeon Mu-dok sat down and talked heatedly about expanding the business. While Baek Mi-ju wanted to join hands with Sangbang, Yeon Mu-dok insisted on managing the restaurant and the guest house.
“Brother, if we touch the Juru and the Inn, will you just watch from the Uicheon Gate? It’s impossible to compete with them right now. You know that, don’t you?”
The Uicheonmun was a powerful sect that started out as a military sect and is now called the Chilpamun. There was no place where their disciples were not present, from the military and government offices to the barracks, inns, and gambling houses.
“If it is difficult to get to Luoyang, why not start at Unsa?”
“Can you feed a family of over a hundred people by managing just two or three?”
“Even if we say that there are only 50 disciples of the third level… … .”
“Yes, for now. I plan to increase it to a hundred before winter comes.”
“That’s impossible. I don’t know why you’re rushing so much.”
Baek Mi-ju looked at Yeonmu-dok with annoyed eyes.
The eldest son, Yeonmu Baek, is doing a good job of increasing the power of Waryongjang. Up until now, he has received Ronin out of necessity, but he is planning to gather boys soon.
The problem is the money that goes into the students’ food, clothing, and shelter.
Until Waryongjang secures a stable source of funds, he needs financial support from the Yeon clan. That’s why I called Yeonmu-dok, but he keeps talking nonsense, and it’s making me sick.
“Brother, is there anything you want from me?”
When Baek Mi-ju asked openly, Yeon Mu-dok avoided eye contact.
Belatedly, she realized that he was being sarcastic.
After thinking about it carefully, I think it was because I had been avoiding him since my eldest son Yeonmu Baek returned.
Baek Mi-ju moved next to Yeonmu-dok with a light sigh.
“Ha! Brother, you know how I feel. I know you feel bad because I’ve neglected you all this time. I’ll do better in the future. Can you help me out a little?”
“What did I do?”
Baek Mi-ju’s soft hand was placed on Yeonmu-dok’s knee.
“Baekse Sangbang in Luoyang is now in a state of broken strings. Advancing to the upper class is something that even the Chilpai clan condones. If we start with Baekse Sangbang and build trust, we can grow quickly. Please help us a little bit until Waryongjang is established. Yes?”
“What power do I have… … . Ugh.”
A gasping sound came out of Yeonmu-dok’s mouth, wondering where Baek Mi-ju had touched.
Wuxia,
