Chapter 224

Yang Gyojin blinked at me, then wiped the blood from her neck and muttered,

“Sohae just...”

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to.”

“You took me down in one move! That was amazing. You’ve gotten way faster, haven’t you?”

That’s what you care about?

There was no trace of hurt on Yang Gyojin’s face as she looked up at me. If anything, she looked positively thrilled.

Well, she’d never cared about much besides martial arts in the first place.

Relieved, I helped her to her feet.

“It’s been a while. Have you been well?”

“Yeah. But what about your brother?”

“There are... circumstances.”

I answered awkwardly, and Yang Gyojin did not press me. Instead, she pointed to the table where she had been sitting and invited me over.

“I just ordered another plate of braised lamb to go with the drinks. Want some?”

“Sure. But first, let’s finish what you were discussing with Senior Jegal...”

“I’m fine, so don’t worry about me. Take your time and talk, Junior Tang. Out. Everyone, out.”

Jegal Cheon waved his hands and quickly ushered his people out of the inn. Before leaving, he pressed a silver ingot into my hand and winked.

Apparently, he trusted me to resolve the situation.

Beopgong watched the Jegal Clan members file out in a crowd, hesitated for a moment, then scratched his head and sat down at the table.

“Why are you staying, Monk?”

“Don’t like the idea of leaving a kid here alone.”

After answering, he crossed his legs and tapped the tabletop with his fingertips. A waiter hurried over and set down two fresh cups.

Yang Gyojin watched Beopgong pour himself a drink and asked curiously,

“Mister, you’re wearing monk’s robes. Why do you have hair and drink alcohol?”

“Me? Because I’m a fake monk.”

“Are you even a monk? You’re not a swindler?”

I burst out laughing at the sight of her calling a Shaolin disciple a fraud to his face.

“Pfft. You really haven’t changed.”

Even Beopgong smacked his lips at Yang Gyojin’s merciless assessment before tossing back his drink.

“...This is a new one. Kid, you should be more careful when choosing your friends.”

“You’re really not the person to tell me that.”

I shrugged and took an empty seat.

Yang Gyojin immediately scurried over and sat close beside me, then introduced the man who had been quietly sitting at the table.

“This is Sima Hoseon.”

“A pleasure to meet you... I’m Sima Hoseon.”

He was painfully thin, his cheekbones jutting sharply from his face, which was deeply flushed.

The whites of his eyes were yellow, and his entire body trembled like a leaf.

Looks like alcohol has already damaged his health. Is he all right?

“I’m Tang Sohae. Um... are you feeling unwell? I don’t mean anything by it. I’m a physician.”

At my cautious question, Sima Hoseon answered awkwardly.

“I’m fine. I can’t sleep without alcohol, but... if I drink, I sleep well, so I’m fine.”

If he said he was fine, it felt awkward to keep prying. As I smacked my lips, Yang Gyojin yawned.

“He normally doesn’t shake that badly. It’s probably because of your green robe, Sohae. He says he’s scared of the Tang Clan. Apparently someone poisoned him when he was young.”

“I’m genuinely sorry, but there are so many people I can think of that I have no idea which one it could’ve been.”

“Tang Juyeop. Tang Juyeop... That bastard...!”

“Yeah. Apparently he still shows up in his dreams.”

“Oh dear. I’ll apologize on his behalf. The crime of being born into the wrong clan weighs heavily.”

Beopgong snickered at my lament.

“You’re the strange one, kid. You’re probably the only normal person in your entire clan. Grab anyone on the street and ask them. They’ll tell you the whole Tang Clan is insufferable.”

“I can’t even argue with that.”

We drank together and caught up on what everyone had been doing.

Yang Gyojin said she had spent the whole time wandering the Central Plains.

Apparently, she had gone on a journey to challenge a hundred martial artists, only to return before actually reaching a hundred.

“One left. The first person I meet in the tournament will be number one hundred. I hope they’re strong. I wouldn’t mind if it was you, Sohae.”

Anticipation shone in her eyes as she smiled brightly.

She looked ready to demand a spar on the spot if I encouraged her at all, so I quietly changed the subject.

“I see. But how did the Jegal Clan’s invitation end up with you?”

“He was ruining the taste of my drink.”

“Gyojin. Please. Could you explain things in more than one sentence?”

When I asked in exasperation, Sima Hoseon, who had been watching the mood, spoke up.

“It was because of me. Our families don’t get along, so when Jegal Gyu saw me, he picked a fight first...”

According to Sima Hoseon, this was what had happened.

When he heard about the martial tournament, he started walking toward Wuhan on the chance that he might get free alcohol there...

“No, no. That’s not it. I thought there might be something interesting to see...”

So he had apparently set off for Wuhan with no real plan at all. Along the way, he encountered Yang Gyojin, who had gotten lost, and the two ended up traveling together...

“I wasn’t the one who was lost. He was. He claimed to be from a family of formation experts, but he was just walking in circles around some estate.”

“There was a formation there! If I could’ve found a small enough opening, I could’ve crawled inside without anyone noticing.”

“Isn’t that just a dog hole?”

In any case, Sima Hoseon had successfully reached Wuhan by freeloading off Yang Gyojin’s purse.

Now that he had found himself a wealthy patron with plenty of money, he had been drinking expensive liquor to his heart’s content and enthusiastically discussing who might win the martial tournament.

Then Yang Gyojin had pulled out her own formal invitation to show him. Jegal Gyu happened to see it and mistakenly assumed Sima Hoseon was entering the tournament...

“He started sneering at me, asking how someone from the Sima family could possibly have managed to get an invitation.”

“So I beat him up.”

“Jegal Gyu, that filthy bastard who deserves to drown in a cesspit! He’s dumber than a worm, but because his surname is Jegal, he thinks he’s somebody!”

Sima Hoseon had begun the story in a quiet, measured voice, but at some point he lost control of his temper and started shouting at the top of his lungs.

The sheer range of emotions left me feeling awkward.

I probably shouldn’t get too involved with this man.

Beopgong, who had been chewing on a piece of lamb, narrowed his eyes and whispered to me,

“Kid. Don’t become friends with that one.”

“Agreed.”

So, in short, Jegal Gyu had picked a fight with Sima Hoseon intending to steal his invitation. Unfortunately for him, the invitation belonged to Yang Gyojin, so instead he lost his own invitation, got thoroughly beaten, and was chased away.

Yeah, Jegal Gyu was definitely in the wrong. If it were me, I’d be annoyed enough not to give it back either.

After finishing his story, Sima Hoseon apparently found his throat dry and began gulping alcohol straight from the bottle.

He drank for quite a while before finally emptying it. Only then did he seem to calm down, rubbing at the corners of his eyes.

“My apologies. Once I get worked up, I have trouble calming myself...”

“It’s fine. So what do you plan to do with the invitation?”

“It isn’t mine. What right do I have to say anything? It’s entirely up to Young Master Yang.”

“Didn’t you tell me earlier never to give it back?”

“...”

When Yang Gyojin tilted her head and asked, Sima Hoseon suddenly became very interested in looking elsewhere.

I swallowed a sigh and looked at the two of them.

“I understand why you’re angry after being insulted like that. I would be too. But you do realize it isn’t a good idea to make an enemy of the Jegal Clan over this, right?”

“What does ‘make an enemy’ mean?”

“I mean don’t build up grudges and obligations over something that can still be settled peacefully. How about no one sheds any blood, and Young Master Jegal gives Sima Hoseon a formal apology? Then we end it there.”

At my suggestion, Sima Hoseon lowered his head. His pride seemed a little wounded.

“Yes... What right would someone from the Sima family have to oppose the Jegal Clan, one of the Five Great Clans? We were born differently, so I suppose I should bow my head first. Our whole family should’ve died off when the dynasty fell instead of surviving for no good reason.”

“I didn’t say anything like that.”

Not a little wounded, then. Very wounded.

“But they insulted your family first, so you should receive appropriate compensation.”

“How could a grown man sell his pride for mere wealth?”

“You’re already thinking about how much money you can get.”

At my retort, Sima Hoseon smiled awkwardly, swallowed, and asked with complete seriousness,

“...How much do you think they’ll give me?”

His eyes gleamed as he licked his lips.

Yang Gyojin... where did you pick this one up?

My motivation to mediate evaporated instantly.

“How much do you want?”

“Obviously, the more the better. My pockets are rather empty at the moment.”

“He got kicked out of his house, so he has no money. His father told him not to come anywhere near home until he quits drinking. Apparently, if he sees him, he’ll break both his legs.”

“So you picked him up because he reminded you of yourself.”

“Yeah. He got pickpocketed too.”

“Good grief... Fine. Gyojin, you’re really okay with giving the invitation back?”

“Yeah. I don’t care.”

Yang Gyojin shrugged, sounding as though the invitation meant absolutely nothing to her.

“If you tell me what amount you want, I’ll ask Senior Jegal if he can agree to it.”

“Hmm... five taels of gold?”

“Five taels?”

“Is that too much? Then two?”

Seeing that there was room for negotiation, Beopgong, who had been listening quietly, asked,

“Want me to bring Jegal Cheon in?”

“Yes. But only Senior Jegal.”

“All right. Look at you. All grown up.”

Beopgong snickered, ruffled my hair, and stood.

It was not long before Jegal Cheon entered the inn with a broad smile.

******

“Junior Tang! Thank you. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay this favor...”

“It’s nothing. All I did was say a few words.”

“Those few words were what mattered. If you ever need my help, contact me anytime. I’ll drop everything and come running.”

Jegal Cheon tucked the recovered invitation safely into his robes, laughing heartily as he patted me on the shoulder.

He looked genuinely delighted as he promised to repay the favor someday.

Sima Hoseon looked equally pleased. He had received a formal apology from the Young Clan Head along with a bank draft worth ten taels of gold.

“Young Master Yang, tonight the drinks are on me until neither of us can walk straight.”

“I’m not drinking anymore today. I need to start loosening up for the tournament.”

“Then I’ll treat you after you win.”

“Sure. Sounds good.”

Gyojin, I think that was just his way of saying he doesn’t want to pay.

Everyone was in good spirits except Jegal Gyu, the source of the entire disaster, who looked utterly miserable.

Of course, that had nothing to do with me, so I pretended not to notice and was just about to say goodbye to Jegal Cheon when someone recognized me.

“Oh, aren’t you Miss Tang?”