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Chapter: 09
Sliiide. Thud!
In the end, every member of the Black Tiger Gang collapsed in miserable condition.
As Jin Cheong-un took a brief moment to catch his breath, Jeong Soso’s anxious voice came from behind him.
“U-Uncle!!”
Jin Cheong-un smiled inwardly at the unmistakable concern in her voice.
It’s over.
Not just this whole incident, but Jeong Soso as well.
After all, he hadn’t merely stepped in to help—he had defeated four armed men.
Even a complete stranger would be moved by that. If she was to become his disciple, it was only natural she’d develop respect for her master.
“A-Are you alright? You’re not hurt anywhere, are you? You said you retired because of your injuries, but if you fight like this…”
“It’s nothing.”
Jin Cheong-un turned around with a warm, composed smile.
“Handling a few street thugs is effortless. I didn’t even use much strength.”
“Gasp!”
“What is it?”
Jeong Soso suddenly cried out, her face turning deathly pale.
“B-Blood!”
“Hm?”
“There’s blood coming from your mouth!”
“Blood?”
Jin Cheong-un casually wiped the corner of his mouth with his hand.
Sure enough, there was a little blood.
“Hmm… It must have splashed on me during the fight. No need to wor— Cough! Hm?”
What?
Why was he coughing?
Tilting his head in confusion, Jin Cheong-un suddenly—
“Cough! Cough! Bleegh!”
He vomited a mouthful of blood.
“Are you alright?!”
“I’m fine. Something just went down the wrong pipe.”
“You coughed up blood because something went down the wrong pipe?!”
“That happens sometimes. Cough! As if fighting a few neighborhood thugs could possibly— Blegh!”
“Aaaah!”
Dark red blood streamed from Jin Cheong-un’s mouth.
Jeong Soso’s face lost all color as she panicked.
H-He pushed himself too hard… because of us!
Then again, how could a retired escort warrior fight four men by himself?
He had obviously overexerted himself.
Though that was only half true.
Tsk. There goes my dignity. Of all times…
Feeling awkward, Jin Cheong-un wiped the blood from his lips with his sleeve.
The mysterious qi inside his body did not follow the circulation method of the Ten Underworld King’s Arts, the unique martial art he had practiced in the past.
Internal energy had to be controlled carefully and precisely.
Naturally, if it was forced out recklessly, the flow of qi and blood would become disrupted.
I’ve never cultivated this thing. Where did it even come from?
It was like an uninvited guest had moved into the house that was his meridians.
It paid no rent, refused to listen to the homeowner, and if he tried to throw it out by force, it trashed the place.
That was why, after retiring, he had planned to slowly tame it and find a safe way to use it.
“Are you really alright?”
“I’m fine. Martial artists cough up blood from time to time when they’re bored.”
“…”
That sounded less like a martial artist and more like a patient.
“More importantly, Soso.”
“Y-Yes?”
“Are you alright?”
“I-I’m fine.”
After answering, Jeong Soso looked around.
“But…”
A dark shadow crossed her face.
Only then did Jin Cheong-un also survey the ruined courtyard.
What a disaster.
The collapsed walls.
The main hall’s floor that had caved in.
The garden pine tree snapped in half.
Black Tiger Gang members embedded all over the place…
Crunch.
Jin Cheong-un clenched his fist and muttered coldly,
“The Black Tiger Gang… How dare they turn someone else’s precious home into this mess? I won’t forgive them.”
“No, Uncle! You’re the one who did this!!”
“Me?”
“Yes!”
“It was self-defense. Didn’t you see those bastards start everything first?”
“They only knocked down a little bit of the wall!”
“I always repay grudges tenfold.”
No, the question was why he had repaid them by destroying his own house.
Just then—
“Big Sis!”
“Soryong?!”
Jeong Soso jumped in surprise.
“I told you not to come out! Why did you leave your room?”
“I’m fine. What happened? Are you alright, Sis?”
“That’s none of your concern. Go back inside.”
The one who had almost been harmed was herself, yet Jeong Soso anxiously checked her younger brother’s condition instead.
Jeong Soryong gently took her hand.
“Sis, I’m part of this family too. How could I not worry when something almost happened to my family?”
“…!”
“I’m really glad you weren’t hurt.”
Jeong Soso’s eyes welled up with tears.
“S-Soryong…”
Her little brother had grown up before she even realized it…
Overcome with emotion, she spread her arms wide to hug him.
Whoosh!
“Oh, right. Wait a second.”
She hugged nothing but empty air.
Jeong Soryong had already dashed right past her.
“…?!”
Ignoring the frozen Jeong Soso, he ran straight toward Jin Cheong-un, who was standing off to the side.
“…?”
Jin Cheong-un flinched as he looked down.
Jeong Soryong was gazing up at him with sparkling eyes.
“Do you have something to say?”
“Yes.”
Jeong Soryong neatly placed both hands in front of his abdomen and bowed deeply.
“Thank you so much for protecting my sister today.”
After a brief pause, he continued.
“…Master.”
“…!”
“…?!”
Jin Cheong-un’s eyes widened.
Jeong Soso’s mouth fell completely open.
“Master?”
“My sister told me. She said you’d cure my illness and teach me martial arts. Doesn’t that make you my master?”
“I suppose it does… but so suddenly?”
Jeong Soryong clenched his fist tightly.
His face lit up with excitement.
“You were incredible today! If I learn martial arts, can I become like you?”
“What?”
“I want to learn martial arts and become strong. I want to become someone like you, Master!”
Jeong Soso doubted her own ears.
What?
Become like… who?
At that moment, Jin Cheong-un burst into delighted laughter.
“Ha! Haaa! What an enthusiastic disciple!”
His grin stretched from ear to ear as he declared proudly,
“Of course! From now on, call me Master!”
“Yes, Master!”
“That’s right! And who am I?”
“My Master!”
“Exactly! Your master! Of course you can become like me!”
Watching the scene unfold beside them, Jeong Soso’s face filled with horror.
“N-No!”
After taking Jeong Soryong back to his room, Jeong Soso came back looking completely drained.
Her pale face slowly scanned the devastated courtyard before she spoke carefully.
“W-Well… should we clean everything up first?”
“Clean up?”
“Yes. We can’t just leave it like this.”
“Hmm.”
After looking around, Jin Cheong-un nodded.
“Alright. Good luck.”
As he naturally tried to leave everything to her, Jeong Soso stared at him in disbelief.
“Y-You’re just leaving? Without helping?”
“Ugh. My internal injuries suddenly…”
“A-Are you alright?! Should I help you inside? Should I bring you some water? I-I’ll clean everything myself, so please go get some rest!”
“…”
It had only been a joke.
But seeing how genuinely worried she became made his conscience ache.
With a sigh, Jin Cheong-un rolled up his sleeves.
“Must’ve been my imagination. What should I help with first?”
“You’re really alright?”
“I told you I am. What needs doing?”
Jeong Soso awkwardly turned her head.
“I can handle most of it, but… those people…”
She looked toward the Black Tiger Gang members sprawled across the ground.
Jin Cheong-un nodded.
“Hmm. Do we have a cart and some rope?”
“Ah, yes! We do. I’ll go get them.”
“Good.”
Jin Cheong-un first dragged the gang members together and lined them up.
When Jeong Soso returned, struggling to pull the cart, she rubbed her eyes in disbelief.
Rustle. Rustle.
Jin Cheong-un was searching through the unconscious men’s clothes.
“…What are you doing?”
He looked at her as if she had asked the most obvious question imaginable.
“Collecting the repair costs.”
“…!”
After finishing, he tied up the Black Tiger Gang members and piled them onto the cart like luggage.
Watching from the side, Jeong Soso suddenly shivered.
N-No way…
A terrifying image flashed through her mind.
A dark night.
A deserted mountain road.
A deep pit being filled with dirt…
“All loaded.”
At that moment, Jin Cheong-un dusted off his hands and grabbed the cart’s handle.
“You keep cleaning. I’ll be back soon.”
“W-Where are you going?!”
“Hm? Why are you so startled?”
“D-Don’t tell me you’re taking them somewhere quiet to bury them alive…”
Jin Cheong-un’s eyes widened in astonishment.
“Are you part of the underworld?”
“Huh?”
“How can you casually suggest burying people alive…? We caught criminals, so naturally we’re taking them to the authorities. Why would I bury them?”
“W-What?”
“They say young people these days are scary, and now I see why. Back in my day everyone was so innocent.”
For the first time in her life, Jeong Soso realized that when someone was wronged badly enough, they became completely speechless.
“Anyway, I’ll be back. Keep cleaning.”
Jin Cheong-un pushed the cart away.
Rattle. Rattle.
Late that evening in Cherry Blossom Village.
The cart Jin Cheong-un pushed arrived at the local government office.
“W-Who goes there?!”
“Corpses?”
The moment the guards saw a fierce-looking man pushing a cart piled with bodies, the government office erupted into chaos.
“Corpses? They’re perfectly alive.”
“They’re alive?”
“That’s right.”
“…Like this?”
“What do you mean, ‘like this’? That’s a rude way to refer to people.”
Then is beating people into this state acceptable?
Their appearance was horrifying.
It almost seemed kinder to have killed them outright than to leave them looking like this.
“B-But why bring Black Tiger Gang members to the government office…?”
Jin Cheong-un narrowed his eyes.
That’s a strange reaction.
Instead of welcoming someone who had captured troublesome criminals, they seemed troubled.
“They’re not just Black Tiger Gang members.”
“T-Then?”
“They’re notorious villains.”
“N-Notorious villains?”
“They threatened innocent people, destroyed someone else’s precious home… These sons of bitches!”
Smack!
Jin Cheong-un suddenly slapped the unconscious Song Un-chan across the face.
The constables hurriedly restrained him.
“P-Please calm down.”
What was with that sudden outburst?
A moment later, a fat-bellied man who appeared to be the head constable came running out.
“I am Geum Tae-bang, the chief constable here. Could you explain exactly what happened?”
Jin Cheong-un calmly recounted the entire incident.
Geum Tae-bang’s eyes widened.
“They caused trouble, drew their swords, and threatened you? Black Tiger Gang members…?”
From his flustered reaction, Jin Cheong-un learned several things.
First, the Black Tiger Gang had enough influence to deal directly with the local authorities.
Second, they might not be as recklessly violent as he had assumed.
The very fact that they maintained relations with the government meant they cared about their public reputation.
Or perhaps they were simply very good at covering things up.
“Do you think I’m lying?”
“N-No, that’s not what I mean…”
Geum Tae-bang darted his eyes around nervously.
Isn’t that Song Un-chan?
He was a fairly skilled martial artist whom nobody dared provoke.
Yet this man had defeated him?
Is he an expert from the Martial Alliance?
At the very least, he had to belong to one of the righteous sects.
After all, beating up members of the demonic path was practically their favorite pastime.
Having finished his calculations in an instant, Geum Tae-bang hurriedly showed proper respect.
“Thank you for your hard work. Leave the handling of these villains to us.”
“I’ll leave them in your care.”
Silence lingered briefly.
Then Geum Tae-bang asked,
“Umm… why are you still standing here?”
“By any chance…”
“Yes?”
“Is there a reward?”
“Rewards are only given for criminals listed on wanted notices…”
Jin Cheong-un smacked his lips in disappointment and turned around.
“If there’s none, then never mind. I’m sure we’ll meet again.”
Watching him casually walk away, the chief constable doubted his own ears.
Meet again?
He suddenly came to his senses and quickly called out.
“M-May I know your honored name? Who are you?”
If this expert planned to settle nearby, they needed to know exactly who he was.
Experts had a habit of causing trouble whenever they got bored.
Jin Cheong-un nodded confidently.
In a loud, proud voice, he introduced himself.
“I am Jin Cheong-un, head of the soon-to-open Cheong-un Martial Arts Academy just down the road.”
“…?”
“We’ll even have adult classes. If you’re interested, I’ll open a special class just for government officers.”
“…”
“I hope you’ll show us plenty of support.”
With that, Jin Cheong-un casually strolled away.
Geum Tae-bang stood there blankly, watching his retreating figure.
His face slowly turned pale.
“W-What did that lunatic just say?”
“He said he’d open a special class…”
“Not that!”
“Oh! H-He said he’s the master of a martial arts academy.”
“So he’s planning to settle here?”
Cracks appeared in Geum Tae-bang’s expression.
Why is something like this happening in Cherry Blossom Village?!
His life’s motto was avoiding trouble.
His philosophy was to live a long, quiet life by keeping his head down.
Geum Tae-bang, the moderately incompetent yet moderately righteous chief constable of Cherry Blossom Village, broke into a cold sweat at the earth-shattering news.
“W-What should we do? Should we notify the Black Tiger Gang first?”
The Black Tiger Gang’s leader wasn’t just another martial artist.
He was an influential local figure who was on friendly terms with the county magistrate.
But if they find out I simply let that academy master walk away…
After pondering for quite some time, Geum Tae-bang finally spoke.
“F-First, we need to treat the patients.”
“Yes. Even criminals are still patients…”
“As long as they haven’t regained consciousness, there’s nothing we can do, right?”
“Huh? Can’t we just inform the Black Tiger Gang?”
Geum Tae-bang barked angrily.
“The Black Tiger Gang? These men are unconscious, we can’t interrogate them, and their faces are so swollen we can’t even identify them. How could we possibly know they’re from the Black Tiger Gang?”
“Ah! That’s true!”
Geum Tae-bang nodded.
Yes.
This was the correct approach.
Avoid responsibility whenever possible, and postpone anything that could be postponed for as long as possible.
