Chapter 418: Chapter 418

“Is… is it really okay?”

“It’s a child who will die soon anyway even if we leave it alone. What does it matter?”

“B… but…”

“I heard the value of that sword sold to the blacksmith is enormous. Who knows where it was picked up, but there might be more, right?”

“It must be a treasure hidden by those dead bastards.”

A few men swallowed their saliva and nodded.

The old blacksmith had struck it rich.

Many tried to take it away, but since he had an inherently sturdy physique and was also the best hunter in the village, they couldn’t easily mess with him.

But what if it was that child?

What if the child had not just one, but two, or even more treasures like that sword?

They could become enormously wealthy to the point where they wouldn’t need to envy the blacksmith.

About ten men’s eyes sparkled with greed.

If they had a treasured sword of that caliber, even if they split the money among many, they would have the foundation to live in luxury, so they were all blinded by money.

“Why not just take down the blacksmith instead?”

One man asked with a very reluctant expression.

Since they actually didn’t know whether the child had another item or not, wouldn’t it be the most certain way to threaten the blacksmith and take it?

However, the middle-aged man at the very front chuckled.

“Other people already went. We can’t interfere there.”

“…Tch, are we late? They’re too quick.”

“Hehehe, some crumbs will fall anyway, so don’t worry about it. Just think about this for now. Even if we split it, it’ll be big money.”

They cautiously approached the house where the child lived. With swords in one hand, their viciously glowing eyes showed no signs of cooling down.

There was no one as dangerous as humans blinded by money.

That’s why they wouldn’t care about the child’s life.

Moving without hesitation, they were advancing toward the place where the child lived.

* * *

Late at night.

Bi Cheon-ung looked at the soundly sleeping child. The child was sleeping curled up on the floor, not even on a bed, without a single blanket to cover themselves.

The cold must have been unusual due to the already chilly wind, but the child slept, seemingly unbothered by such things.

“Fascinating…”

Bi Cheon-ung couldn’t understand this child’s mind.

Helping a stranger?

An even very young child at that?

Considering the child couldn’t even properly take care of themselves, it was absolutely not an easy task.

Yet, this child was doing that difficult task.

‘Come to think of it… I don’t even know their name.’

Bi Cheon-ung let out a scoff while having such thoughts.

Since when did he wonder about a child’s name and worry about someone?

But as Dan So-mi’s face flashed through his mind, he frowned unconsciously, and then covered the child with the blanket that was on the bed.

The moment he moved, the muscles in his entire body screamed.

“Ugh…”

It hurt, but his body had recovered enough to move. Thinking it was a relief just for that, Bi Cheon-ung stood up from his spot.

It was his first time being able to properly look around the inside of the cabin.

The cabin was large but old.

The place where the child and Bi Cheon-ung were seemed to be a room, as there was a door, and when he opened it and went outside, an even larger space appeared.

A quite large place for one person to live in.

All sorts of trash were scattered on the floor, and the stench still wafting from somewhere pierced his nose disgustingly.

All kinds of insects were crawling on the floor.

Starting with centipedes, and even cockroaches and rats.

It was full of things that were bad for the human body.

However, what stimulated Bi Cheon-ung’s gaze was something sitting alone in that large space.

“Corpses…?”

There were two corpses.

They must have been rotting as the smell was severe, and maggots were swarming, a sight that made him frown just by looking at it.

Even Bi Cheon-ung, who had killed so many people, wanted to turn his head away in disgust after looking at that sight.

Was that the cause of the stench in this cabin?

Bi Cheon-ung looked at it and picked up a piece of cloth nearby. Then, as he approached the two corpses and was about to cover them with the cloth, he discovered something.

“They were slashed by a sword…”

It wasn’t a simple death from illness.

There were traces of someone intentionally swinging a sword to inflict wounds.

The decay had progressed so severely that even touching them to bury them seemed dangerous.

If they stayed here a little longer, not to mention the child, even Bi Cheon-ung might catch a disease.

He covered them with the cloth.

This was the minimum mercy Bi Cheon-ung could show.

“Could you not even bury your parents’ corpses?”

All the situations before his eyes were pointing to such things. Bi Cheon-ung involuntarily scoffed and thought of the child.

Pity rose to the point of annoyance, causing him to unconsciously clench his fists.

*Rustle-!*

At that moment, a sound was heard.

It was faint, but it was undoubtedly the sound of someone approaching.

At the same time, a rustling sound was heard from inside.

The child seemed to have woken up from sleep, perhaps having heard that sound.

Along with a clattering sound as if they had hastily stood up, the door soon opened once again and the child revealed themselves.

“Haa… Haa…”

The child panted heavily.

Their complexion was deadly pale. Like they foresaw what was about to happen, they ran over with a face that looked like they were about to die right then and grabbed Bi Cheon-ung’s hand.

“What… are you doing?”

“We… have to run away.”

Bi Cheon-ung’s eyes widened at the words he soon heard.

Did such a young child react to a faintly heard sound?

Since it was a considerable distance, even first-rate experts wouldn’t have noticed it, but the child pulled Bi Cheon-ung with a deadly pale face, as if they had a premonition.

“What are you talking about?”

“We… have to run away…”

“…….”

“The people… who killed my dad… are going to come again…”

Trembling all over, they tightly gripped Bi Cheon-ung’s collar.

That was the best this child could do right now.

Running away.

Asking to run away.

An earnest plea was embedded in the eyes that said so.

Bi Cheon-ung frowned.

He continued to see that child in those eyes.

That shook Bi Cheon-ung’s mind even more.

However, the thought was for a brief moment.

Suddenly, along with a ‘Bang!’ sound, a group of men rushed inside.

Those standing holding swords.

Bi Cheon-ung, who saw through the murderous intent and desire embedded in their eyes looking at the child, narrowed his eyes.

* * *

“What is it?”

Dan Wu-hyun, who was having a drink while looking at the moonlight, suddenly turned his gaze at the sound of knocking on the door. He knew who it was just by hearing the footsteps.

However, the voice that came out of his mouth was benevolent and also filled with interest.

Soon, the door opened.

Dan So-mi was seen standing blankly through the open door.

Tears were welling up in her eyes, as if she had burst into tears.

Seeing that she hadn’t been on good terms with Hong Jin-rang since dinner, it seemed the two had a spat.

Dan Wu-hyun smiled, seemingly amused by something.

“You cried.”

“Yes…”

Dan So-mi trotted over and took a seat on the bed. Her action of tightly holding her father’s collar was full of the will to wash away her anxiety.

Dan Wu-hyun carefully stroked her head.

“So, what did you fight about?”

“I… can’t provide help.”

“Because you are still young.”

Dan So-mi was startled and looked up at Dan Wu-hyun.

It was because Dan Wu-hyun seemed to have known the meaning of what she was saying from the beginning.

Dan Wu-hyun smiled strangely and said.

“There are things in the world that you cannot do because you are a child. Therefore, sometimes leaning on someone is also not a bad thing.”

“…….”

Dan So-mi nodded slightly.

In fact, Hong Jin-rang’s words were not wrong.

Dan So-mi could not save that child.

Even if she extended a hand, she couldn’t cure the disease, and although she could solve the immediate hunger, she couldn’t continue doing so.

No one in the world would say that was saving them.

It was nothing more and nothing less than simple sympathy.

Dan So-mi’s actions could only be seen as the childish behavior of a young child.

Even adults would find it hard to think like So-mi, so it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say it was commendable, but this was not something a young child could solve.

“Why do you want to help?”

“…It felt like I was looking at myself.”

“Hmm… really?”

Dan Wu-hyun let out a scoff unconsciously.

Dan So-mi was also thinking what he had been thinking. It was true that the moment she saw the child, she felt a sad heart, as if looking at her past self.

Because of that, he could understand this little child’s heart, even if just a little.

Strength entered Dan So-mi’s hand holding the collar.

Quietly looking up at Dan Wu-hyun, she smacked her small lips.

“Could you… help?”

It was an appealing look.

The moment he looked at it, Dan Wu-hyun quietly closed his eyes.

It was then.

Jang Sam-tae’s voice was heard from outside the door.

“Manor Lord, are you awake?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll be coming in.”

The door opened.

Jang Sam-tae, who came inside, was surprised to see Dan So-mi in the room. It was because she was awake when it was well past the time she should have been sleeping.

However, he soon collected his expression and stepped in front of Dan Wu-hyun.

He glanced at Dan So-mi to gauge her reaction.

“It’s fine, so speak.”

“E-yes. That child’s name is Yeo Eun-wol. She is the child of the wealthiest merchant in this vicinity until a few years ago. Because they were famous even in the Sichuan region, they were never short of money, and they made a massive contribution to the development of this Hochon… Well, rather than a massive contribution, most of this place was built with their money.”

“But they went bankrupt?”

Dan So-mi’s eyes, having been listening to the story, widened. Dan Wu-hyun already knew what she was thinking and had ordered Jang Sam-tae to investigate everything.

Dan So-mi broke into a bright smile.

“Rather than saying they went bankrupt… it would be slightly more accurate to say they were made to go bankrupt. As they built wealth and began to wield the greatest power in the village… it is said the villagers targeted them. If there was a merchant group traveling, they would attack and take the goods, commit theft…”

“Is it because of money?”

“If the stories from the Hao Clan are all true, it seems clear. Don’t they say money can even make ghosts work? And…”

“What else is there?”

“Her face wasn’t originally like that. I suspect someone intentionally infected her with a disease. The Hao Clan also couldn’t investigate this part accurately. Because the villagers are inherently keeping it a secret…”

Dan Wu-hyun swallowed a groan.

Dan So-mi looked at Jang Sam-tae with an expression of losing her words. If his words were true, it meant the entire village annihilated one family because of money.

“There’s talk that the reason this village is wealthy is because of the money stolen from that child’s family. Ah, also, it seems that child recently sold a rare item to the blacksmith…”

“And?”

“From what I heard just a moment ago… a fire broke out at the blacksmith and no one survived.”

“…I see.”

Dan Wu-hyun stood up from his seat.

Looking out the window, smoke could be seen rising from not too far away. Things presumed to be torches were seen all over the place.

The villagers were moving around everywhere.

“Money can even make ghosts work…”

Dan Wu-hyun quietly closed his eyes.

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