Chapter 85
In broad daylight……
It was absurd for a seemingly normal guy to abruptly order the customers to leave their seats.
However……
As if my bewilderment was of no concern, the man in the hero’s outfit spoke again, this time revealing a subtle hint of anger.
“Excuse me. Can’t you hear me? I’ll pay for your meals, so why don’t you leave? Do you really want to see what happens if you don’t?”
Simultaneously,
Subtly━.
The man in the hero’s outfit made a gesture as if reaching for the sword at his waist, and then the customers, cautiously observing the situation, started to leave one by one.
“……Sir. Why are you doing this?”
At that moment.
The waiter approached and cautiously asked the man in the hero’s outfit.
Then, the man frowned and replied.
“Ah! Get these people out of here quickly. I’m going to rent out this inn from now on.”
“So why exactly……”
“I am a member of the Hengshan Sect.”
“Ah…… I understand, Master.”
Hengshan Sect━.
The moment the waiter heard that name, he was startled like a lightning-struck old tree, and then he bowed his head and nodded.
“Alright! Customers. I’m sorry, but you all have to leave your seats. This Master is a member of the great Hengshan Sect, so please understand.”
At the same time, the waiter started to chase away the remaining customers as the man in the hero’s outfit had ordered.
Because of that, some of them frowned……
But most of them seemed to be afraid after hearing the name of the Hengshan Sect, so they all left without much resistance.
Of course…… except for me.
“C, customer…… I’m sorry, but could you please……”
Then.
The waiter spoke to me, as I was stubbornly sitting there, engrossed in my meal.
I looked at the waiter for a moment and replied in a calm voice.
“Hey, waiter.”
“Yes?”
“You shouldn’t demean yourself by calling yourself a waiter.”
“……What do you mean, customer?”
“What do you mean, ‘waiter’? A waiter’s job is to provide convenience for the customers’ comfortable meals and rest. But is it right to kick out a customer without a valid reason?”
“Ah……”
“At least, I wouldn’t do that if I were a waiter. If you’re a waiter, you should be faithful to your duty. How can you kick out a customer just because a martial artist told you to?”
I……
After saying that, I waved my hand at the waiter.
“Anyway, I’m going to enjoy my meal as much as I paid for it, so don’t try to persuade me anymore. That’s all━.”
At that moment, Yeon-u’s face was filled with embarrassment, and the waiter looked like he was about to die, and
“……”
The man in the hero’s outfit, standing a little distance away, was glaring at me fiercely.
‘Why is he staring at me? Really……
I should just……
Let’s just endure it this once.
Just this once.
◈ ◈ ◈
“Ahem!”
“……”
“Ahem, ahem!”
“……”
“Ahem! Hey!!”
The man in the hero’s outfit……
Seeing me sitting there like a statue, he approached, coughed repeatedly, and then shouted.
I glanced at the guy and asked casually.
“What?”
Then,
“Hey. Judging by the sword you’re wearing, you seem to be a martial artist…… Didn’t you hear me? I’m from the Hengshan Sect. Today, our sect needs to use this place, so I asked you to leave, didn’t I?”
At least, like a member of the Righteous Path, the guy didn’t curse at me like a thug……
But to me, this act itself was like a threat.
He’s just pretending to be polite on the surface, but what’s the difference between this and a thug?
“So what?”
“What?”
“So what do you want me to do? I paid for my meal with my own money, and I’m eating. What reason do I have to leave just because you’re from the Hengshan Sect or whatever?”
“Oh, no……!”
“Also. If you had politely asked for my understanding from the beginning, it would be a different story. But abruptly telling me to leave, what kind of law is that?”
“Are you done talking?”
The guy asked me back, his face reddening.
Then, Yeon-u shook his head, signaling me not to say anything, but I got annoyed at Yeon-u too and raised my voice.
“Yeon-u. Why are you doing that too? I didn’t do anything wrong. Are you scared of the name Hengshan Sect or whatever?”
“B, Brother!”
“Get a grip. Even if you back down sometimes, you should know when to stand up for yourself.”
I……
I hate this kind of situation from the start.
It’s not that I was born with a rebellious spirit, or that I’m a reckless fool who doesn’t know what’s going on……
At least, if I haven’t done anything wrong, I had no intention of backing down, no matter who the opponent was.
And actually……
To be honest, I’m holding back a lot right now.
“Y, you! Are you done talking now? What? Hengshan Sect or whatever? You dare to be arrogant in front of our sect’s name, even though you’re a martial artist?”
At that moment.
The guy in the hero’s outfit finally revealed his true colors.
He spoke to me in an angry voice, and I smirked and stood up, saying.
“Hey, Hengshan Sect friend.”
“W, what?”
“How old are you this year?”
“You insolent fool! What do you want to know my age for?”
“If you’re older than me…… I’ll endure it this once. If you’re younger than me……”
“……!”
“You’ll get hit.”
“???”
!!!
As soon as the words ‘You’ll get hit’ came out of my mouth, Yeon-u squeezed his eyes shut and then opened them again.
Then, he got up from his seat like me, and his expression was something like, ‘Here we go again……’ or something like that?
Anyway, that’s what happened……
The guy in the hero’s outfit gritted his teeth and eventually drew his sword.
Clang━!
I……
Thought that the guy in the hero’s outfit had a really shitty attitude.
No matter how angry you are……
How can a righteous martial artist from the Righteous Path draw his sword so carelessly?
“A puppy doesn’t know to fear a tiger! Are those words meant for you? Fine! Today, I’ll break the taboo and cut off at least one of your limbs. Draw your sword too. I will show no mercy.”
At that moment, I couldn’t help but burst into laughter at his cliché and nauseating lines……
“Pfft……!”
But guess what?
This time, Yeon-u also found the guy in the hero’s outfit’s lines funny and burst into laughter, then he was startled and covered his mouth.
As expected……
My wit and humor……
Are still ‘in their prime.’
“You bastards! You dare to mock me as a group……”
Papapat━!
I.
Didn’t want to listen to the guy in the hero’s outfit’s b*llshit anymore, so I swiftly scattered the Gold Needles and snatched his sword.
“???”
The guy’s eyes widened in shock as he was caught off guard and had his sword snatched away.
I sneered at him and said.
“Hengshan Sect friend.”
“……!”
“Don’t act tough.”
“……”
“You look weak, you punk.”
At that moment……
“What’s going on!”
Along with a roar, seven figures in white robes entered the inn.
◈ ◈ ◈
“U, Uncle!”
The guy in the hero’s outfit, upon seeing the figures who had entered late, ran to them like a child tattling and spoke urgently.
“I was trying to clear out the inn…… but then, that guy started to hurl insults at me! He dared to do so even after hearing our sect’s name……”
“Jong-hoe.”
“Yes, Uncle.”
“How can you be so reckless? Can’t you be quiet!”
“Ah…… Uncle. I was just……”
“What are you, to chase away decent customers like this? If the elders of our sect find out about this, would they scold you or praise you?”
“I, I think they would scold me……”
“Jong-hoe. A martial artist is only a martial artist in the Jianghu. In the secular world, you must exercise restraint.”
“I’ll keep that in mind, Uncle.”
Roughly……
Looking at the situation, the guy in the hero’s outfit’s name seemed to be Jong-hoe, and the uncle who was scolding him seemed to be a first or second-generation disciple of the Hengshan Sect.
But at least, as an elder, the uncle was scolding his disciple instead of taking his side, so he didn’t seem like a bad guy.
Seemed like it……
“Are you also a martial artist?”
Contrary to my expectations, the uncle asked me dryly with a very stern look in his eyes.
“I am.”
“Which sect do you belong to?”
“When asking about someone’s origin in the Jianghu, shouldn’t you at least reveal your own sect first?”
I asked him back with a serious look in my eyes, just like him.
Then,
“Huh……”
For some reason……
The uncle just chuckled at my question without answering, and I had to fall into deep thought for a moment.
‘To hit or not to hit, that is the question!’
Clearly……
I’m not hot-tempered.
Because I, this man, am the owner of patience who endures when I need to endure.
But why do I always have to agonize over this kind of dilemma?
Just then, Yeon-u, who seemed to have noticed my dilemma, blushed and asked the uncle in an angry voice.
“Master. I am Seok Yeon-u of the Seokga Estate in Dongcheon, and this person is the Sect Leader of the Dawn Heaven Sect in Chang’an, who is traveling with me. To be honest…… I didn’t want to step in, but no matter how I look at it, this doesn’t seem right. Your sect’s Jong-hoe clearly acted rudely to my brother first…… How can you, a Master, be rude as well, without even an apology?”
Frankly, I was a little surprised.
Yeon-u’s words seemed polite on the surface, but they were mixed with blatant anger, so anyone could interpret it as a challenge to a fight.
But the uncle didn’t seem to mind and asked Yeon-u in a monotonous tone.
“Is the Seokga Estate in Dongcheon a secular family of Mount Hua?”
“It is.”
“The Dawn Heaven Sect in Chang’an…… Is it by any chance the Dawn Heaven Sect that has recently gained fame?”
“If there aren’t multiple Dawn Heaven Sects in the world…… that would also be correct.”
Yeon-u consistently maintained a confident demeanor while answering.
That’s how Yeon-u is.
Sometimes he unnecessarily cares about formalities and manners……
But if he has nothing to be ashamed of, he’s the type to speak his mind, no matter who the opponent is.
‘This is interesting.’
Suddenly.
I thought the two’s war of nerves was interesting.
I was also curious about how Yeon-u would behave in front of the prestigious Hengshan Sect’s name.
“So that’s why.”
At that moment……
The uncle muttered ambiguous words that I couldn’t understand.
“So that’s why you were so confident……”
“……”
“Huhuhu…… Junior Seok. I understand. Since we’ll be seeing each other on the road anyway, let’s just let it slide today.”
“……?”
“However. Keep this in mind.”
“……!”
“That the Mount Hua background can never stand above the Hengshan Sect’s name.”
I was hoping it wouldn’t be the case, but……
It turned out that the uncle was even more ill-mannered than his disciple Jong-hoe.
Just by looking at him, the uncle didn’t seem to be much older than me.
At most, he looked to be in his mid-thirties.
He was not only condescending to Yeon-u like a middle-aged master but also trying to intimidate him openly.
The funny thing is,
“Excuse me! Isn’t that too much? You’re speaking down to someone from another sect without even revealing your name? And when did I ever try to stand above the Hengshan Sect’s name, relying on the Mount Hua background? This is a clear provocation, Master!”
The calm Yeon-u was raising his voice in anger.
But what’s even funnier is that as soon as Yeon-u shouted, the other bastards next to the uncle all started yelling at the top of their lungs.
“You punk!”
“Shut up!”
“How dare a brat with no experience raise his voice at a disciple of the Hengshan Sect?”
Yeon-u seemed to be dumbfounded, his eyes wide open as he looked at them, and the uncle continued speaking with a sneer.
“Junior Seok. Whether it’s by age or by position in the Jianghu, I’m your senior. Are you offended by my informal speech? Hahaha. You have quite the pride. I heard that the Seokga Estate is a family that makes huge donations to Mount Hua. I envy you. If I had a sect that would protect me in exchange for money, I would give them a fortune.”
“W, what are you talking about!!!”
The moment Yeon-u exploded in anger,
“How much will you give?”
I stepped forward and asked the uncle.
“???”
“You said you envied the Seokga Estate. So, I’ll protect you and the Hengshan Sect in exchange for money. How much can you give?”
Then, the uncle said with a shocked expression.
“What…… did you just say?”
“Are you deaf?…… I said I’ll protect you and the Hengshan Sect, and in return, I’ll take some money. I asked how much you can give, mister.”
“???”
“For your information, the Dawn Heaven Sect’s protection fee is the highest in the industry.”