I look at the kneeling bastards.
Their faces are beaten to a pulp like Brother Geum-hae. I squat down and remain silent to fuel the tension. Sure enough a guy speaks to me in a cautious tone.
“Do you think you can handle our leader?”
“Is that a threat? You’re not in no place to threaten me.”
I blow my fingers and flick them on the brow of the guy who threatened me.
Flick— the guy passes out with a thud.
Perhaps sensing they shouldn’t open their mouths the three remain silent.
“Thanks for paving the road. But it’s not right to demand a one-tenth share as the toll fee. I will make you pay for kidnapping beating and starving my brother. You bandits seem to be mistaken just because you’re big in numbers I can fight the entire Namak Green Forest Sect alone. Are you looking down on us because we’re the Low Down? Did I come up with the wrong faction name? I should’ve taken out the “Low” and replace with “High”. Hasn’t it occurred to you that we might be capable if we’ve exterminated Bajian Society? Why didn’t you go take them down if you wanted Bajian Society’s funds so bad? Why did they send these morons and make a fuss about the money? Thoughts? Fellow Green Forest Sect gentlemen.”
“….”
I blow on my fingers again.
“Ha…”
A guy says
“I’m sorry.”
“Sorry?”
“Yes.”
“All right.”
I flick a finger on the forehead of the guy who apologized. The guy lets out a short shriek and faints right away.
I look at the next guy.
“You’re the one who patted my brother’s head earlier right? A relaxed attitude it was nice to see. I thought you were a reclusive master. But the reclusive master of Kangho is me. I didn’t rise to my name so we looked like morons to you is that it?”
“Yes.”
“You’re honest.”
I blow a hot breath on my fingers and give a forehead flick.
This time the kneeling guy falls backward with a bang and faints.
“Did he faint or die?”
So Gun-pyeong quickly feels the guy’s pulse and replies.
“He’s still breathing.”
“Lucky bastard. He must have trained his forehead.”
“His forehead is split open.”
“Move on.”
I look at the last guy.
“….”
“How long did it take you to get here from Namak?”
“It took four days.”
“Really? Then it’ll take you 4 days get back another 3-4 days for the Green Forest Sect bastard to wonder why you guys are not back send over other envoys arriving in another 4 days that means I’ll buy around 12 days of time?”
“….”
“I will show you how we train during these twelve days. We are not people you can extort toll fees or come at us just because we’re outnumbered. Got it?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t think you understand.”
“I fully understand now.”
“Did you bandits flatter your leader a lot? I can’t feel the sincerity. You get toll fees from the weak and hide and watch when famous masters pass by don’t you? Messing with the Low-Down Sect means you’re messing with hawkers bundle peddlers and workers. I will deal with Namak Green Forest Sect properly so they can never collect tolls from the weak. Bring it on.”
“….”
I blow a long breathe on my fingers.
“Haaah…”
While breathing the Green Forest Sect envoy suddenly foams by mouth and faints in a kneeling position.
Watching him I say
“…it doesn’t work you punk. Fainting like that. All right I’ll give you a forehead flick until your head crack open.”
The collapsed man jolts awake and replies.
“…I’m sorry.”
“These guys have a habit of being sneaky and apologizing later. Wouldn’t it be better to stop doing it altogether? Who taught you this? Did the mountain god teach you this or did your leader teach you this?”
I give him the strongest flick.
Smack—!
I get up and tell my men.
“Tie them to the plum tree. We will continue training until the Green Forest Sect’s next visit. Brother Geum-hae watch over them.”
Geum-hae answers
“Yes.”
“Don’t give them food and water. Only give them few sips to those who look like they’re about to pass out. Give them food once every three days. Then starve them. Eat every meal in front of these guys. Look at these guys’ faces while you’re training in martial arts. They are our enemy. They’re my enemy. They’re the ones who beat up Brother Geum-hae. They are your enemy. They are bandits who take absurd toll fees from people passing through mountains that belong to no one. Don’t show them any mercy from now on.”
“Yes.”
“Drag them and strip them before tying them up.”
My men drag the fainted ones away and the officials look at me.
I look around at the officials and say
“I have no plans. Training is my strategy. Hardcore training as usual. Kangho is all about skills. Let’s train.”
“All right. Shall we call for the masters of other branches?”
“No need. If we increase in numbers we will become as complacent as a bandit. We’ll just deal with them as it is so don’t call them over.”
“Yes.”
I say to Baek-in So Gun-pyeong and Cha Sung-tae specifically.
“If they suddenly manage to escape while I’m training catch them. They might end up running back to Namaksan Mountain alone.”
“We understand.”
I trained Strolling Golden Turtle Technique one day trained in Shadow Moon Martial Arts the next day and on the third day I return to the inner courtyard to look at the bandits tied under the plum tree.
“Goodness it’s been a long time my bandit friends. How have you been?”
“….”
“Who am I talking to?”
“I haven’t been well.”
Haven’t eaten in three days the bandits were looking at me with skin and bones. I grab the plum tree and look at the bandits while doing pull-ups.
Suddenly the subordinates approach with smiles and proceed to join here and there hanging and doing pull-ups around the plum tree.
I warn the subordinates.
“Don’t smile. Smiling makes you lose strength.”
“Yes.”
Geum-hae askes me as he brings the table from the back.
“I’m sorry Big Brother but can I have a meal here?”
“Oh sure. Eat comfortably.”
“Thank you.”
Geum-hae puts down the table in front of the captives arranges the food brought by the servants on the table and sits down in a chair.
Geum-hae says apologetically
“Big Brother I will join the training after recovering. Before that I’ll eat a lot.”
“Okay. If there’s anything you want to eat ask the maids to make it. If the maids can’t make it buy it from outside. Eat up. Food is what matters.”
“Thank you brother.”
Suddenly I catch a whiff of the food on the table so I say while doing pull-ups.
“Damn it smells delicious.”
“Would you like to join me Big Brother?”
“No I’ll eat it later.”
“Yes.”
I keep changing my arms while doing pull=ups along with my subordinates as I look around some of my subordinates start doing pull-ups with just one arm like me.
Geum-hae starts eating with a chewing sound.
Chew slurp swallow sip crunch…
Geum-hae always eats a lot and eats deliciously. He probably gained weight because he knew how to eat deliciously. He was eating the food served by the servants very well.
Geum-hae grabs the juicy chicken with chopsticks and hands it out to the bandits.
“Who wants to eat it? First come first served.”
“Me.”
“Me.”
“….”
“…Me too”
Geum-hae asks me.
“Can I give it to them Big Brother?”
I answer back while doing pull-ups.
“No way.”
“Roger that”
“Yeah. Seeing the faces of the bandits I never knew hunger could be this scary. They extort others to live a full life and now they are shamelessly saying they want to eat. I’m speechless. Are these guys eating today?”
The subordinates reply
“Yes.”
“Cancel it and only give them water. What a waste of rice.”
“I understand.”
Geum-hae says as he is chewing chicken
“Big Brother I’ll mobilize some of the troops from the merchant in our face-off with Green Forest Sect. Please give me your permission.”
“They’ll end up wounded you don’t have to.”
“Yes.”
“Let’s keep this for ourselves. You must be very angry.”
Geum-hae answers while looking at the bandits.
“Yes if you would allow me I will slaughter them here and grill them up.”
“Brother that’s not possible. If you eat human flesh what rumors will circulate about the Low-Down Sect?”
“I made a mistake.”
“If you’re upset you can beat them to death at any time. I’ll allow that.”
“Thank you.”
“They’re to be disposed of anyway. Trash there’s a limit at the bottom too. We have no choice but to kill those no one want to collect and use.”
I come down from the plum tree and cool down staring at the captives. I hear someone talking at the front door.
As I stretch while waiting the men enter the inner courtyard and report.
“Leader a messenger from the alliance has arrived. They want to see you.”
“Let them in.”
“Yes.”
All the men present in the courtyard halts their workout and lay off the plum trees and walls.
“….”
Geum-hae wipes his mouth with a handkerchief and stands.
Even the captives turn their heads to the door of the courtyard.
A young warrior from Murim Alliance greets in a salute looking around and says
“I came to see the Low-Down Sect Leader.”
My men point at me.
“There he is.”
Murim Alliance greets in courtesy once again.
“Leader I’m Shim Se-gun a messenger from Flying Swallow Pagoda under the Murim Alliance. I am here because I was asked to deliver this letter.”
“Thank you.”
Shim Se-gun takes a letter from his arms and hands it out to me. I check the condition of the letter with my eyes and grab it.
Shim Se-gun says
“Can I explain it here?”
“Go ahead.”
“When Gui Do of Tree Spirit Fortress (who rallied pirates from Changsha Liuyang Shandong) joined hands with Namak Green Forest Sect that caused a scandal by infiltrating Jang family merchant ignored Leader Im’s warnings and calls. Leader is sending a letter to friendly forces to inform them of the tyranny of these two forces and requesting for you to participate in the subjugation. If you look at the letter the tyranny of the two forces is briefly written. The letter is written by him. He emphasized that this is not a coercive request to his allies and friends.”
I answer simply.
“Where is the gathering place?”
“The Alliance branch in Mount Heng. Tree Spirit Fortress is in the north and Namak Green Forest Sect in the south creating threats so Leader Im has departed for Mount Heng. We plan to look at the branch first and decide on the advance.”
“I will see you at Mount Heng Messenger Shim. Farewell.”
Shim Se-gun bowed in a fist and palm salute.
“Thank you Leader. I’ll see you at Mount Heng.”
I nod and look at Geum-hae.
“Brother Gold.”
“Yes.”
Geum-hae pours tea from the kettle he was going to drink and hands it out to Shim Se-gun.
“Thank you for the hard work Messenger Shim.”
Shim Se-gun replies
“Ah thank you.”
After gulping the tea Shim Se-gun swayed his hands to me and other subordinates and says
“See you again.”
“See you.”
Shim Se-gun turns around and walks only then did he find the captives tied up under the plum tree in wretched states and he asks me in a startled voice.
“Ah Leader. These are….”
“Don’t mind them. They are Green Forest Sect messengers….”
“Oh is that so? Why are they here?”
“They ended up like that after trying to extort money from me.”
Shim Se-gun pauses for a moment and looks closely at the captives.
“I see they are bandits. I’ll see you again.”
The bandits speak to the alliance member passing by.
“…Help us.”
“Take me to Murim blind!”
Shim Se-gun replies as he strides toward the gate.
“Shut up. We are suffering because of you.”
I read Leader Im’s letter after Shim Se-gun disappears. There was no significant difference from what Shim Se-gun said.
I think as I fold the letter.
‘There goes my plan to being Murim’s Public Enemy…’
I look at the captives with my arms crossed and tilt my head.
“…At this rate I’m going to end up as a chivalrous hero. Jeez that’s a little…”
