"You mayflies! Shall I kill you? Take this guy and get lost!"
At Old Man Ban's roar, two of the people on the wall jumped down, hoisted the Ghost Blade of Emei Mountain, climbed up the wall, and then disappeared over it.
The others also disappeared.
"Myung!"
When Old Man Ban shouted loudly, Cho Myung answered in a daze.
"What?"
"Go and drag the rat that's stuck on the other side of the wall!"
The moment Old Man Ban's words ended, the person who had been stuck on the other side of the wall ran away in a hurry.
"That's enough. Myung, come back."
"What about the rat?"
Cho Myung turned around as he was running towards the wall.
He had really gone to catch the rat.
"He's already gone."
"Ah, okay."
When Cho Myung returned, Old Man Ban also turned around.
In the meantime, Jeok Yorap had brought a chair.
Old Man Ban went to the chair, slumped down, and gasped for breath.
"To be this tired with just this, it seems my time has really come."
"Big brother..."
"I'm fine. It's just that I have some regrets, but I'm satisfied."
"Master, you're bleeding."
Cho Myung was staring at Old Man Ban's side with a worried face.
"Myung."
"Yes."
"When you fight, you bleed and get hurt. You shouldn't be afraid of that. If you want to be a real great man, if you're a real great man, you have to go without hesitation even if it's a place teeming with demons. That's a great man."
"Okay."
Cho Myung, who nodded vigorously as if he really understood.
Old Man Ban stroked such a Cho Myung's head.
"Myung, go and see if the fire is out and tell big brother Yunhui that your master is hurt."
At Jeok Yorap's words, Cho Myung ran out of Jangsaengwon quickly.
"The red sky is now dark, so it seems the fire has been put out."
"Yes."
Jeok Yorap's expression as he answered was not good.
His sworn brother who had fought again and shed blood.
Although he was acting as if it were nothing, the reality was not so.
Since he knew a little about medicine, he had immediately realized that the problem was inside the body rather than the wound on the skin.
The shock of being hit by the sword must have shaken his insides.
"Let's stop the bleeding first."
"Do you know how?"
"I know some simple first aid."
Jeok Yorap lifted the hem of Old Man Ban's clothes and pressed firmly around the part cut by the blade with both hands.
Since there was no medicine or clean cloth right now, that was the best he could do.
After doing that for a moment, Hua Yunhui came running in a hurry, following Cho Myung.
"What do you mean, bad people came... you've been stabbed?"
"Don't make a fuss. I'm fine with this much."
"What do you mean, fine? Looking at the wound, it looks like you were stabbed."
Hua Yunhui, who had recognized it at once, checked his pulse and asked.
"Is your stomach bloated or full?"
"It wasn't enough to cause internal bleeding. I've fought once or twice, so I can tell that much."
"That's a story from the old days when you were fine. Now, if you fight like this once or twice more, you might not be able to get out of bed again."
Even without saying it, Old Man Ban also knew it well.
That was the reason why he had not provoked the remaining guys by taking the defeated Ghost Blade of Emei Mountain as a hostage and had just chased them away.
"You rascal, why are you acting as if I did something wrong?"
"Ah...! I'm sorry. It seems it's become a habit from treating patients."
"Is the fire out?"
"It's out, but it's too late."
"Too late?"
"The medicinal ingredients are almost all burned."
"Just a moment."
Hua Yunhui hurriedly went into the patient room of Jangsaengwon and came out with a golden needle and a medicine box.
After stopping the bleeding by placing a golden needle, when the bleeding had completely stopped, he applied a wound medicine and wrapped it with a cloth.
"If your stomach feels strange later, you must tell me immediately."
"I will. By the way, it seems the guys who appeared here are the arsonists, so it would be good to tell the head of the family."
"Ah! That's right. Please rest."
Hua Yunhui ran out of Jangsaengwon again.
A moment later, Hua Sochen came with Hua Yunhui and talked with Old Man Ban about the fiends.
Although she had a place in mind, she had no definite evidence, so she just gritted her teeth for half an hour and then went back.
The commotion in the middle of the night ended like that.
But that was not the end of everything.
The next day.
As soon as they finished breakfast, Hua Sochen and the head of the pharmacy took the workers of the clinic and headed to Hundred Herb Forest.
"Do you think it's them?"
"I'm sure of it."
"There are many who say that the master of Hundred Herb Forest is vicious, but after being treated like that at that time..."
The head of the pharmacy could not easily believe it.
But Hua Sochen was sure.
"It's not the master of Hundred Herb Forest, but his son. Even a good-for-nothing is still a child, so his eyes must have turned when he saw what happened to the master of Hundred Herb Forest."
"Ah! That guy who is famous for being a playboy!"
The head of the pharmacy now made a face as if he understood.
"Yes. Old Man Ban also said so. He said that one of the guys on the wall had a frivolous way of speaking, like a good-for-nothing."
"Hah!"
The head of the pharmacy, who sighed as if he were bewildered and frustrated.
He looked at Hua Sochen's mood and asked.
"So... what are you going to do?"
"Are you worried that I'll threaten him to hand over that guy?"
"Aren't you?"
"Even if I do, he'll surely deny it."
"Yes, he will."
The head of the pharmacy, who agreed.
He did not say any more.
Hearing her speak, it seemed that Hua Sochen had her own thoughts and would not act rashly.
When they arrived at Hundred Herb Forest, she said with a cold expression on her face that she had come to see the master of Hundred Herb Forest. Then, a moment later, the master of Hundred Herb Forest came out to greet them in a hurry, as if he had not expected them to come from the Hua Family Clinic.
"What brings you here at this hour?"
Just by looking at the master of Hundred Herb Forest's face, it seemed he knew nothing.
Did he really know nothing?
Hua Sochen stared for a moment and then immediately got to the point.
"Last night, some rats burned down the medicinal ingredient warehouse of the main family. And they even dared to attack Old Man Ban."
"How could such a thing...! Don't tell me you came here thinking I ordered it?"
The master of Hundred Herb Forest made a surprised face and then changed to a flustered face and asked.
"Isn't it?"
"N-no! I've found out enough about what kind of person the Fighting Demon is, how could I dare to do such a thing? It's definitely not me. It's a misunderstanding. Please, it's not me. Please believe me."
He acted as if he were about to kneel down.
Hua Sochen watched the scene with a face as cold as ice and said.
"If it's not, then that's a relief. The reason I came here is to purchase medicinal ingredients."
"Medicinal ingredients?"
"Yes. Since they're all burned, I have to buy that much again."
"H-how much?"
When the master of Hundred Herb Forest stared with wide eyes, Hua Sochen took out a bill from her bosom and placed it on the table.
"It's three hundred taels of gold issued by the Continental Bank."
"Th-three hundred taels...?"
"That's right. But you don't seem to be happy about it?"
"How could that be? It's just that it's such a large sum..."
The master of Hundred Herb Forest, who could not finish his words.
Inside him, anger was welling up and he was burning with rage.
Since that day, he had been selling medicinal ingredients to the Hua Family Clinic at half price. So the more he sold, the more he lost.
He was about to burst with anger just thinking about how much he would lose with three hundred taels of gold. But since he had even written a memorandum, he couldn't not sell.
Having no other choice, the master of Hundred Herb Forest called the general manager and told him to give out three hundred taels worth of medicinal ingredients as the Hua Family Clinic wanted.
"As you know, one of my legs has been uncomfortable since that day, so I can't see you off. Please go well."
Hua Sochen just nodded and got up. And she was about to go out but stopped.
"Ah, I'm just saying this just in case. Please tell your hot-tempered son not to loiter around the main family carelessly. Because of what happened last night, I've changed my mind and told Old Man Ban not to avoid killing if anyone comes to the clinic."
"......!"
It was a threat that if he came one more time, he would be killed.
The master of Hundred Herb Forest widened his eyes and could not say anything.
Hua Sochen stared at him coldly and then went out, creating a cold wind.
***
"You foolish brat! I told you not to do anything, why did you stir up a hornet's nest! I've lost this much because of you. What are you going to do about this damage!"
The master of Hundred Herb Forest shouted, shaking the bill nervously and then throwing it away.
Yang Gatae, who had picked up the bill, made a slightly surprised face when he saw the amount.
But that was all.
"What do you mean, a loss? The profit has just decreased a little."
"You foolish brat! If you're supposed to make a profit of seven taels by selling ten taels worth, and you only make two taels, you're losing five taels, not making two taels!"
"Anyway, it's not a loss."
"You frustrating brat! Shut up and get out! Go and do the womanizing you like so much and don't show your face again! Do you understand!"
"I just need to do it one more time, and you're telling me to stop?"
"What more do you want to do?"
"What do you think is the reason that old man let us go obediently? It means he doesn't have the strength to chase us. The reason he just let the Ghost Blade of Emei Mountain go is because he doesn't have the strength to fight anymore. After just one punch..."
"Shut up!"
"Father?"
"Are you trying to see someone die?"
"I'm telling you, that old man is the one who's going to die!"
"Shut up and get out! If you cause trouble one more time, I'll kick you out of this house!"
"Ah, really! I can't talk to you!"
"What did you say, you brat!"
"Forget it. I'm leaving."
"Leave the bill!"
"You told me to go and do some womanizing!"
Yang Gatae ran out as if he were running away.
The master of Hundred Herb Forest, whose one leg was uncomfortable, could not chase him and just threw an inkstone and got angry.
"You damn brat! Don't come back even if you run out of money!"
Yang Gatae, who had left Hundred Herb Forest through the back door, grumbled and headed somewhere.
"You old geezer, because you're so timid, you haven't been able to leave this neighborhood until now."
Yang Gatae had big dreams.
It was to leave the land of Ming Mountain where he lived and advance to Chengdu, the center of Sichuan Province.
It was to stand tall as a great merchant, surpassing the famous medicinal ingredient brokers in Chengdu. And his dream was to live in a sea of wine and meat, with the beautiful women of Chengdu on both sides.
Chengdu, which he had visited once, was a new world compared to Ming Mountain.
There were beautiful women in gorgeous clothes everywhere.
From then on, he began to dream.
That he would have all those beautiful women to himself.
After passing through the alleys, kicking the stones that were in his way, he came to the red-light district.
Yang Gatae entered a building with familiar steps.
"You've come."
About ten strong men with fierce impressions greeted him.
"Where's my big brother?"
"He's inside. I'll tell him you're here."
"Forget it. What's between us, I can just go in."
Yang Gatae left the hesitating strong man and went in with a swagger.
After passing through the dark corridor, Yang Gatae stood in front of a door.
"Big brother, it's me, Yang Gatae. I'm coming in."
Yang Gatae opened the door right away and went in.
But as soon as he stepped inside, something flew at him.
The moment Yang Gatae flinched.
Thud!
A hand axe was embedded in the door next to Yang Gatae's head.
"You scared me."
Yang Gatae smiled nonchalantly, pulled out the hand axe, and brought it in.
"No matter how much it's you, if you come in like that, your head will be split open."
There was one person in the dark room.
He was the leader of the Ghost Blade Sect, the one who had been knocked out by Old Man Ban last time.
Yang Gatae held out the hand axe to him.
"I told you. If you can't trust me, you can split my head open anytime."
"......"
"To live in a harsh world, you need someone you can trust. I have chosen you, big brother, as that person."
"You talk too much."
"As you've heard, I failed. But I did get something. That old man can only swing his fist once. If you have the skill to face him just once, you can defeat him. So please find a master who is one level above the Ghost Blade of Emei Mountain."
"Two levels."
"What?"
"Let's make it a master who is two levels above."
"That would be even better. But do you know such a master?"
"I do. There is someone I know who is about ten days away. The problem is that it costs a lot of money."
"How much does it cost?"
"Two hundred taels."
"Two hundred taels?"
"Yes, you'll have to give him two hundred taels of gold to make him move."
"Oh-ho, it seems it's fate."
"......?"
"I happen to have exactly that amount."
Yang Gatae, who smiled and took out the bill, placed it on the table.
It was a bill for three hundred taels of gold.
"One hundred taels is your share, big brother."
Yang Gatae smiled brightly.
(End of Chapter)