Pyeongsan Fortress Master, Daerang, looked over the prey in front of him.
At a glance, they were shabby wanderers. Normally, he would not touch ronin too harshly. If they bowed appropriately and emptied their purses themselves.
But these things, not only did they dare to deceive him, but even when they were discovered, they were not bowing, but were rolling their eyes here and there as if they were going to fight.
While holding their weapons.
That made Daerang's eyes turn.
"Hey! Stop these things from running away!"
About twenty mountain bandits completely surrounded Eom Tak and the others.
If even one of them escaped, they would be beaten to death by the ill-tempered fortress master, so their gazes at Eom Tak and the others were fierce.
"You're all dead!"
Daerang brandished his large long sword and glared.
At that fierce appearance, Eom Tak stretched his hand back and pushed Cho Myung back. And he said stealthily.
"We're going to run if things get bad, so don't miss the timing."
"......!"
Eom Tak, who did not have ti to hear Cho Myung's answer because he was wary of Daerang, raised his sword without a scabbard and aid it at Daerang.
"Good! Let's see who dies!"
Eom Tak, who had shouted loudly!
He soon let out a shout at Daerang as if his throat would tear.
"Hwaaaap!"
At that shout, Daerang stopped walking and the mont he grabbed his long sword, Eom Tak kicked the ground and shot out.
Gwak Gyeong and Ilpyeong also moved at the sa ti.
Not to the front where Daerang was, but turning back to the rear.
Clang! Thwack, thwack!
When the three, including Eom Tak, suddenly rushed in, the mountain bandits who were trying to block them in a daze were sent flying.
The three broke through the gap and ran away.
At this ti, Cho Myung was one step late.
Because he had not thought at all that the three would turn back and run, and because he could not understand why they had to run away.
Crack!
The mountain bandit who was rushing towards Cho Myung was sent flying.
"Run!"
Gwak Gyeong, who had returned in a flash, flew like the wind and kicked, and then grabbed Cho Myung and ran.
"Catch them! What are you doing! Catch all those bastards!"
Daerang ca chasing, running wild.
The mountain bandits rushed after them. The montum of them chasing with their weapons raised was fierce.
"Don't stop, run!"
Gwak Gyeong shouted, letting go of the arm he was holding.
"What did we do wrong?"
Cho Myung, who was running in a daze, looked back and asked.
"What wrong?"
Ilpyeong answered.
"Then why are we running away?"
"You idiot! We're running away because we don't want to die!"
"I'm stronger."
Cho Myung stopped running.
"Don't talk nonsense and just run!"
Ilpyeong, who did not know that Cho Myung had stopped, ran like crazy.
It was the sa for Eom Tak and Gwak Gyeong.
The two did not even have ti to talk and just ran, looking only ahead.
The three who had been running like that for a long ti.
"Are they still chasing?"
Eom Tak asked.
"I don't know."
"Look quickly."
Ilpyeong quickly looked back. And he stopped with a blank face.
"Big brother!"
"Why? Are they not chasing?"
"Yes."
"Ah! We're saved!"
Eom Tak and Gwak Gyeong also stopped walking and caught their breath.
"What happened. I thought they would chase for at least another mont."
"It seems the Pyeongsan Fortress Master is not good at running."
"That's right. We were lucky."
The two who were exchanging a word each and looking back.
A person was visible in the distance.
It was Cho Myung.
And around Cho Myung, mountain bandits were lying on the ground. Including the Pyeongsan Fortress Master, Daerang, all of them.
"......!"
"Wh-what is that?"
The two were so dumbfounded that they could not say any more and just stared.
At this ti, Ilpyeong approached.
He, who had been approaching slowly at first, approached faster and faster, and in the end, he ran quickly. And after looking around at the mountain bandits lying on the ground, he waved his hand at Eom Tak and Gwak Gyeong.
Eom Tak and Gwak Gyeong also ran in one go.
The mountain bandits were all unconscious, no matter where or how they were hit.
The three looked around at the mountain bandits and then looked at Cho Myung.
"Did you do this?"
Eom Tak asked.
"Yes."
When Cho Myung answered, the three made a surprised face at each other.
"You were a great master!"
Ilpyeong chattered with a face full of joy.
Eom Tak and Gwak Gyeong also nodded their heads. But the two just looked at Cho Myung, wondering how to treat him.
"Big brothers, let's rob these things."
Ilpyeong said, moving.
When Eom Tak and Gwak Gyeong watched, wondering what he was saying, Ilpyeong began to search the pockets of the unconscious mountain bandits with a happy face.
A mont later.
The mountain bandits began to regain consciousness one by one.
"Ugh!"
"Aigoo, my head feels like it's going to break."
"Ugh! Where is this?"
It was when the mountain bandits were shaking their heads and looking around.
"Aaargh! You bastard!"
Daerang, who had been lying on the ground, shouted and shot up.
Daerang, who was looking around with his bulging eyes.
"That brat! Where is that brat? Where is that brat who hit my head!"
The mountain bandits, who would not even make a sound and would just look at him when the fortress master, Daerang, said a word, did not think of answering and began to look at themselves with wide eyes.
"What! You're not answering?"
"Fortress master!"
"Maktong! Did you see him? Where is that brat?"
"That's not it...!"
At the words 'that's not it', the hot-tempered Daerang clenched his fist and ran up in one go.
The face of Maktong, who knew that the fortress master would trample him until his anger was released once it exploded, beca urgent.
"Fortress master! Clothes! Clothes! Clothes!"
But it was too late.
Thwack! Thwack, thwack, thwack!
Daerang's fist beat Maktong.
"Aaargh! Aaargh! Clothes! Clothes!"
"Don't talk nonsense, where is that brat!"
"Clothes! Clothes! Clothes!"
"This son of a bitch is determined to die! Die! Die!"
"Clothes! Clothes! Aaargh! Clothes! Ugh! Clothes!"
"Yes! Clothes! Clothes! Die! Die!"
While the mountain bandits, who thought that Maktong would really be caught, were surprised and flustered, a skinny guy shot up.
And he shouted vigorously.
"Fortress master! I can see your balls!"
"What?"
"Your balls! Your balls! I can see your balls!"
"......!"
Co to think of it, the skinny Jogu was naked.
The other guys were also all naked.
Daerang turned his head and looked at himself.
He was also naked.
Ilpyeong, who had searched the bodies of the mountain bandits, had stripped them all when not even a single iron coin ca out.
"Ugh! Clothes... clothes... ugh! C... clothes!"
Maktong let out a weak groan and then fainted.
Grind!
Daerang ground his teeth, recalling the brat and the other three who had knocked him out. But for so reason, he could clearly rember the three, but he could not rember the face of the brat well. Only the fist that had suddenly rushed to his nose was clear.
"This bastard...!"
***
When they crossed a small mountain, an inn appeared.
"You see that hill over there? Beyond that is Daebang. If you go there, there will be bigger and cleaner inns, but they're damn expensive."
Ilpyeong explained to Cho Myung and then looked back at Eom Tak.
"Big brother, are we staying at this inn today?"
"Let's just eat and sleep outside."
"Again?"
"You're used to sleeping outside now."
"But..."
"I have no money."
When Ilpyeong was about to complain, Gwak Gyeong interjected and cut him off.
Ilpyeong's mouth protruded, but he did not say any more at the words that he had no money.
Eom Tak, who was watching him with a smile, asked Cho Myung.
"What will you do? If you have money, it will be comfortable to sleep at the inn."
"I want to stay with you, big brothers."
Cho Myung liked the three.
They had spoken to him first and had said to cross the mountain together because it was dangerous. When they were surrounded by the mountain bandits, Eom Tak had pushed him back to be closest to the direction of escape, and when a mountain bandit had rushed in, Gwak Gyeong, who had treated him like a burden, had been the first to run and send the mountain bandit flying.
Although Ilpyeong was talkative, he had treated him kindly and had told him many things.
"Then it's decided. Let's go. Let's go and have so warm soup."
"What soup, it's just going to be noodles anyway."
Ilpyeong finally grumbled.
"It could be noodles with a lot of at."
Eom Tak smiled and patted his shoulder.
But Ilpyeong did not expect it at all.
Because in an inn without even a sign, noodles with a lot of at was like finding a carp the size of a forearm in a very small stream.
The four entered the inn like that.
"Welco!"
When a young waiter greeted them loudly, the custors in the inn turned their heads and looked.
The four also turned their gazes to find an empty seat.
Then they found a group occupying a large area on one side and frowned.
They were none other than the escorts of the Taegang Escort Agency.
Yang Gyeongpil, who was sitting with his back straight and tilting his wine glass, was also visible.
He was a person with a wicked heart who had thrown them as prey to the mountain bandits, but he was sitting there, putting on all sorts of airs as if he were so great person.
"You cunning old man!"
Gwak Gyeong muttered with a fierce face, wrinkling his nose.
Although it was not a loud voice, it was enough for the escorts of the Taegang Escort Agency to hear.
"Are you saying that for us to hear!"
The head of the escort, who had ntioned the laborers, shot up and shouted.
"I was talking to myself, but is there such an old man on your side?"
"Seeing you play with words, you must want to die!"
"Thanks to a dirty old man, we were thrown to the mountain bandits of Pyeongsan Fortress and barely survived, so I don't see anything. We'll have to fight to know who will die, let's have a go."
Gwak Gyeong said openly.
Since he had been wronged, he could not just endure it and pass by.
Although the head of the escort was probably very skilled, since he also had a hidden move, he was confident that he would not be defeated one-sidedly.
But Yang Gyeongpil, who had been sitting quietly, pretending not to hear, put down his wine glass with a sound and interjected.
"Head of the escort, Gam, stop it. Should a person answer back when a field mouse squeaks?"
"I'm sorry."
The head of the escort, Gam, who had bowed his head, sat down.
Gwak Gyeong made an angry face at Yang Gyeongpil, who had expressed them as field mice, rather than the head of the escort, Gam.
"You wicked old man!"
Gwak Gyeong also turned his back and followed the waiter to his seat.
At this ti, Yang Gyeongpil's fist was clenched.
He was not a person to just endure such a thing, but there were too many eyes here.
'You worm-like brat!'
The soup of the noodles was warm and the taste was excellent. But that was it. As expected, there was only one piece of at per bowl.
Everyone's mouth was disappointed. Especially Cho Myung. Since he usually ate four servings, how could it be otherwise?
"Let's order more. I'll pay."
"That's not right. Thanks to whom did we survive?"
Eom Tak said, waving his hand.
"No. I eat a lot. And it's a token of my gratitude for speaking to first and accompanying . I really want to buy it."
When he said that, Eom Tak could not refuse any more and hesitated, and Cho Myung gestured to the waiter and called him.
"Do you have stir-fried pork?"
"Of course. It's the dish our inn is most proud of."
"Six servings of that and alcohol..."
Cho Myung looked back at Eom Tak.
"Two bottles of the cheapest."
When Eom Tak said as if he had no choice, Cho Myung looked back at the waiter again.
"Three bottles of not the cheapest."
"I'll bring it right away."
The waiter quickly disappeared into the kitchen.
Because he knew from experience that the order could change in such a case.
When the waiter disappeared, Eom Tak opened his mouth and then closed it.
"Aren't you overdoing it?"
Gwak Gyeong asked.
Although he was a man of few words, it seed to bother him to be treated by Cho Myung.
"I think I can earn money sohow, but I don't think I can easily et people like you, big brothers."
Cho Myung thought he was lucky.
His grandfather and master, big brother Yunhui and big brother Cheong, sister Sochen and the father and daughter of the Eun Family rchant Guild, and the three in front of him. They were really good people.
"Why is this so touching? Your words feel more delicious than noodles with a lot of at."
Ilpyeong made a fuss.
At those words, Eom Tak and Gwak Gyeong chuckled.
"By the way, how did you et, big brothers? You don't seem to be real brothers."
Cho Myung asked.
The faces of the three were too different to be brothers.
The three who looked at each other and smiled.
The answer was given by Ilpyeong.
"When you wander around here and there as a ronin, you et a lot of people. But although you can et as many colleagues as you want who cross the line of death together, it's not easy to et a person you can entrust your life to. I happened to work together with these big brothers in the land of Gansu, and the big brothers saved my life about four or five tis, and I think I did so once or twice. So we ca to trust and rely on each other."
That was not all.
Their wills matched, and they completely hit it off and ca to dream of opening an inn together. So they were traveling together and saving money.
"That's cool."
Cho Myung made an impressed face.
Sworn brothers who crossed the line of death together and entrusted their backs to each other.
It looked really cool.
"What's cool, we're just wandering around, looking for trivial jobs because we're not skilled enough."
Ilpyeong scratched the back of his head with an embarrassed face.
"Well, it's not cool, but it's not bad. We're living our own way, so there's nothing to be ashad of."
"Well, that's... true."
At Eom Tak's words, Ilpyeong grinned.
Although it was not a satisfying life, it was true that they were living diligently.
While they were like that for a mont, the waiter brought the alcohol and the dish.
Thanks to Cho Myung, the three ate alcohol and at to their heart's content for the first ti in a while. And what surprised them was Cho Myung's appetite. They were surprised to see him eat so much, unlike his build.
"Shall we go?"
"Let's do that. We have to find a place to sleep before it gets darker."
The four who had gotten up from their seats paid and headed outside.
But a sneering sound was heard.
"Hmph! It seems you have a talent for running away from anywhere!"
The person nad Head of the Escort, Gam, had sneered, saying if he was running away.
"I'd rather sleep under the sky as a roof than sleep under the sa roof with people with a dirty personality."
Gwak Gyeong retorted.
At those words, when the person nad Head of the Escort, Gam, was about to get angry, Eom Tak grabbed Gwak Gyeong and pulled him.
"Let's go quickly. If it gets dark, we'll be the only ones in trouble."
When the four went out like that, the Head of the Escort, Gam, was just fuming.
"Head of the Escort, Gam."
"Yes."
"I'm going for a walk, so see if there's a good place. I think it would be okay to walk while chasing away the field mice."
At Yang Gyeongpil's words, the Head of the Escort, Gam, brightened up and shot up from his seat.
"I'll find out right away."
(End of Chapter)
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