Chapter 121
Chapter 121
- Definition of Family
After the storm had passed, Yeon-ryang, who had lifted me up, chuckling, soothed me.
"Whoa, whoa, sis. Calm down. Calm down."
"Ugh, Brother! Let me go. I feel like I need to punch that monk in the face to feel better!"
"You didn't even land one hit and just got beaten up..."
"Agh! I'm so mad!"
I got even angrier at Yeon-ryang's accurate assessment.
No matter how much I screamed and charged, I couldn't even touch Beopgong's body.
As I stomped my feet, Beopgong stuck out his tongue and mocked me.
"You can't beat me, kid. Do you think they give the Nahan Hall Chief seat to just anyone? I've faced every Martial Artist who has challenged Shaolin."
"Beopgong Monk, do you know you're really annoying?"
"Yeah. I hear that a lot. I'm just that good."
"That's not a compliment!"
What kind of person is he!
If he weren't Yeon-ryang's friend, I would have shoved extreme Poison down his throat!
"Ugh, seriously! I'm going to melt all your hair off while you're sleeping!"
As I yelled, Beopgong's face, which had been grinning, turned pale.
"Wait, wait a minute. Kid, don't say such scary things. I've been growing it for a year."
"You can just grow it again for another year!"
"Hey. Go easy on the hair. I really struggled to grow it."
"You didn't go easy on me either!"
"Alright, alright. I surrender, I surrender."
He waved his hands frantically, declaring surrender and stepping back.
I glared at him, pouting.
I would feel better if I could leave a handprint on that annoying guy's back, but honestly, my arms and legs were trembling so much that it was hard to even stand.
Yeon-ryang, noticing my condition, chuckled and sat me down on the ground. Then, he squatted next to me and poked my cheek.
"Sis. Are you sulking?"
"I'm not sulking, I'm angry, okay? This isn't right. Who throws someone into an Unorthodox / Evil Faction den out of the blue?"
"A Martial Artist shouldn't be so dramatic. You're fine except for the cut on your left arm, right? That kind of wound will heal with some Poison Needles / Darts. Stop complaining and put this on."
Beopgong shrugged and threw a small bottle at me. I caught the bottle and asked, narrowing my eyes.
"What's this?"
"Jade Spirit Mountain. It's precious. Apply it generously. So I can use you again."
After replying, Beopgong began to tie up the Unorthodox / Evil Faction Martial Artists scattered on the ground and gather them in one place.
They were starting to thrash as the paralysis wore off, making it look like a fish market.
Is he going to hand them over to the Alliance like that? Still, maybe because he's a monk, he's surprisingly lenient...
"Kuaaak!"
Never mind.
I flinched involuntarily at the cruel sight of him destroying their Dantian / Energy Core in an instant. I felt a strange ache in my lower abdomen.
"Beopgong Monk, are you really a monk?"
"Buddhism forbids killing, but it doesn't forbid cutting off the chain of evil deeds. That means it's okay as long as I don't kill them. It doesn't matter if I sever their Four limbs and meridians or destroy their Dantian / Energy Core as long as they're still breathing."
"If you hadn't entered Shaolin, you would have become a notorious Evil Overlord."
"That's why it's so fortunate. Thanks to the Abbot taking me in, I'm protecting the peace of the Central Plains. Kid, what are you doing? I told you to apply the medicine."
Beopgong, countering Yeon-ryang's rebuke, gestured to me.
I awkwardly rolled my eyes and looked down at the bottle.
Jade Spirit Mountain from Shaolin; it was definitely a precious medicine, but it wasn't something useful to me.
"Yes. I'll apply it later."
As I mumbled and fiddled with the bottle, Beopgong frowned as if wondering why.
"Why? Apply it now."
"Yeah, So-hye. Apply it now. I'm not just saying it, it's really precious. Only a lazy monk would use it so lavishly like that; Wanderer would drool just to get a whiff of it."
Yeon-ryang also chimed in.
Under the burdensome gazes of the two men, I looked up at the sky and turned away slightly. I felt my mouth dry in this awkward situation.
If I showed them my wound in front of them, my constitution would be revealed.
"Um... It's precious, so I'll wash up and apply it later."
"Apply it now. If you leave it, you'll get metal poisoning. Are you being stingy? Give it here."
Beopgong, striding over, took back the Jade Spirit Mountain. He rolled up my sleeve in one swift motion and sprinkled the fine powder all over the long cut.
However, only the powder turned red, and the bleeding didn't stop.
Beopgong, flustered, furrowed his brow.
"What? This kind of wound should heal immediately with Jade Spirit Mountain, right? Why isn't the bleeding stopping?"
"Ahaha."
I tried to pull my arm away with an awkward smile, but he didn't budge, as firm as a rock.
Beopgong, looking down at my wound, became serious.
"Kid. Doesn't medicine work on you?"
\ \ *
After hearing the whole story, Beopgong offered an apology with an expression that showed no remorse.
"Wow, I'm sorry, kid. I almost caught a kid."
"If you know, don't do it again."
"Okay. From now on, I'll choose a place that won't get you stabbed."
"No, don't throw me at all!"
Yeon-ryang's expression was dark as he watched our conversation.
"...So-hye, why didn't you say so sooner?"
"It's not good to talk about it with others, is it? It's a weakness. Keep it a secret. Beopgong Monk too."
"Yeah, yeah. I swear on my hair. I'll say I don't know even if someone asks."
"Can't you swear on something other than your hair? I don't trust you at all."
"Do you think it's common for me to swear on my hair and promise to keep my word? Today is the first time."
"So you're saying you won't keep it?"
While Beopgong teased me with a smirk, Yeon-ryang frowned and pressed his eyes with both hands. He seemed to have a headache.
Beopgong, seeing his serious expression, asked as if wondering why.
"Hey, Yeon-ryang. The kid's the one who got hurt, why are you looking so grim?"
"It's nothing. I just feel bad."
"Because of the kid's wound?"
"No. Just... I wonder if I haven't given her enough trust."
Beopgong looked dumbfounded at the reply.
"Huh? Are you upset right now because the Tang Clan kid didn't reveal her weakness to you?"
Yeon-ryang looked dazed, as if he had been hit, at Beopgong's taunt.
"...Damn it. I guess that's it."
He muttered, making a face and rubbing his face roughly. Beopgong, blinking blankly, burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! Hey, don't you think you're being petty right now? I would have hidden it too. It's a matter of her life, how could she tell you?"
"I know, so be quiet."
"Hahahahaha! Still, it's funny. If there was someone like you in Shaolin, there wouldn't be a day without laughter."
Beopgong, tilting his head back and laughing for a long time, wiped away his tears and asked.
"Yeon-ryang. Do you really want to be that kid's brother? She's a Tang Clan bloodline. The Tang Clan are the most obsessed with blood relations in the Central Plains. If she has that much talent, they'll try to take her away as soon as she gets a decent nickname."
"I said be quiet."
Yeon-ryang's eyes, taking a slow deep breath, sank gloomily. The smile disappeared from Beopgong's lips.
"What a sentimental bastard. Looks like playing family was fun."
Beopgong, grumbling, squatted next to Yeon-ryang.
"Tsk tsk. Mortal. Don't be entangled in relationships and struggle."
"I'm not going to the temple."
"Hey, I'm not proselytizing, okay? I'm just saying it because you're creating attachments on your own. Attachments become worries, and worries return as karma. Don't be greedy and let it flow."
"For once, you're talking like a monk."
"I am a monk."
Beopgong, showing his prayer beads, made a face like he had eaten shit.
"It's unbelievable. I thought the kid was relying on you, but it turns out you're relying on the kid. Did you eat your age through your ass?"
"I'm feeling enough self-loathing without you saying it..."
"Stop being pathetic and wash your face. Your expression is bad, so the kid's eyes are getting as big as saucers. She's never seen you angry, right? She seemed surprised."
"...I guess so. The kid must have been surprised."
Yeon-ryang, replying in a subdued voice, let out a small breath. Beopgong, getting up with a sulky expression, patted Yeon-ryang's shoulder.
"If you're that fond of her, send her off with a smile. Don't make her heart flutter by showing your disappointment."
"I know."
"Knowing my ass. I don't want to see a bear-sized man looking so dejected, so get that disgusting expression out of my sight."
Beopgong, turning serious, kicked Yeon-ryang's calf. Yeon-ryang, nodding, tried to manage his expression.
'Be mature. Be mature... Damn it.'
Yeon-ryang clenched his teeth, repeating the same words as if chanting a spell.
For him, who had never met a truly mature adult in his life, pretending to be a good adult was an excessively difficult task.
