Chapter 111: Unforeseen Situation
Although a crowd was gathered, pushing through was not a difficult task.
“Hieek!”
“What is that…”
This was because Beom-gak, who looked like a madman no matter how one looked at him, stood at the front.
‘Indeed, anyone living a peaceful life would naturally avoid him.’
Who would protest when a person carrying a horse on his shoulders was passing by?
Behind him were people whose eyes were bloodshot, looking as if they wanted to beat someone up right this instant.
It was only natural that the path opened.
Though they became a spectacle instead.
Crossing the threshold of the Bright Fate Escort Agency through the opened path, the expected scene lay before us.
When people gather to watch, it is usually one of two things.
Watching a fight or watching a fire.
“Uuuugh…”
“Damn it!”
Around the escort warriors who lay groaning on the ground, there were men swaggering with arrogant attitudes like wild beasts showing off their strength.
The remaining people of the Bright Fate Escort Agency were divided into two groups.
Those who bowed obsequiously and begged, and those who clenched their teeth and glared with strength in their eyes.
Ju So-ran’s gaze was directed towards the latter.
‘Is that her mother?’
She was a beautiful woman around the age where wrinkles were just beginning to show on her face. Her beauty gave a glimpse of a resemblance to Ju So-ran.
“What’s the situation?”
“…I’m not sure. However, those begging over there are maternal relatives who manage the escort agency’s assets…”
The people managing the escort agency’s assets are begging, and the mistress of the Bright Fate Escort Agency is being threatened?
I thought the situation wasn’t too bad since they had enough leeway to distribute wealth to the families of the deceased escort members, but that might not be the case.
‘First, let’s understand the context and what the situation is…’
There is a cause, so there is an effect. It would be a rational judgment to first grasp the circumstances.
“…Is there a need to do that?”
However, seeing Ju So-ran’s expression, such judgments completely vanished from my mind.
Looking back at the things from when my grandfather worked as an official, nothing in the world was judged by logic and reason.
Furthermore, in cases like this, it was often better to throw rational judgment to the dogs for a moment.
“Beat them all up.”
“Really?”
Baek Mu-ho asked to confirm, perhaps thinking it was an unlike-me judgment.
“My feeling is that they don’t have a justified reason, but in the unlikely event that those guys actually had a justified reason to throw this fit, it would become hard to beat them up. Rather than feeling uncomfortable holding back, it’s better to just do it and apologize later. That is, if we are in the wrong.”
“That is indeed a very pleasing thing to hear.”
Myeong Il-seo replied, brightening up. Ever since our first spar, his treatment of me had been extremely respectful, but a certain distance had remained; now, it felt as though that wall had completely crumbled.
However, the one who moved first was neither Baek Mu-ho nor Myeong Il-seo.
“Bwahahaha!”
Beom-gak dashed forward like a hunting dog let off its leash.
While still carrying the horse on his shoulders!
Neigh!
The sorrowful cry of the horse followed.
And everyone in the group followed the horse’s cry.
***
Do Gwang-jo was a loan shark who ran Yeomwangchae.
Usually, loan sharks served as the main source of income for unorthodox factions, or those colluding with unorthodox factions ran Yeomwangchae.
Naturally, in Hubei, where the influence of the orthodox sects was strong, it was difficult for them to run rampant carelessly.
However, everywhere on the bottom, there were bound to be those who made a living through dark and damp deeds.
In any place, there were bound to be people in need of urgent money, and since the orthodox sects also recognized that they could not help everyone individually, they tolerated it to some extent.
Of course, they had to keep to the line, because if they acted up carelessly, they would be crushed.
‘The prey rolled in on its own feet. Hehehe.’
The Bright Fate Escort Agency was a place that could be plundered with a reasonable justification.
No, it was more accurate to say it ‘became possible to make it look like’ such a place.
‘I feel bad for the deceased Chief Ju too. To think he took in such fools as his wife’s family, only for them to stab him in the back.’
A few days ago, someone from the Bright Fate Escort Agency secretly sought out Do Gwang-jo.
After the death of Chief Ju Il-pyo, they expressed dissatisfaction with the mistress, Woo Ji-hye, unilaterally distributing wealth to the families of the deceased escort members.
Even after distributing wealth to so many people, the assets of the Bright Fate Escort Agency were vast enough for the remaining family members to live their entire lives without lack.
Those who had been managing the storehouse of the Bright Fate Escort Agency since before had believed that all those assets belonged to them.
Their point was, why waste it by giving it away?
And what they said next was absurd.
“We shall fabricate it as if we borrowed money from you, Do Gwang-jo.”
Since they managed the storehouse of the Bright Fate Escort Agency, fabricating documents was simple.
They would create a promissory note stating that they had borrowed money, and in return for helping them seize the assets of the Bright Fate Escort Agency, they offered thirty percent of the stolen wealth as a reward.
Although they were clinging to his legs and begging right now, these guys were the real trash.
‘Fools.’
They seemed to think it was a clever scheme, but it was a desk theory that could only be made by those who did not know loan sharks.
This was because things in the world did not happen exactly according to contracts and thoughts.
Because they had worked cleanly(?) in the orthodox territory, they did not know the dark side of this industry.
They did not know that there were plenty of ways to stab someone in the back.
‘Well, quietly eating thirty percent seemed like a decent option too. Hehehe.’
But upon actually seeing Woo Ji-hye, his mind changed.
As rumored, Woo Ji-hye’s beauty was outstanding. Although she was a bit older, not a single wrinkle could be seen on her fine face. Rather, she overflowed with a mature charm. Even elegance could be felt.
She was a woman far out of his league under normal circumstances.
However, if he took good advantage of the current situation, it seemed he could gulp her down as well.
‘It’s not a loss. Since I can get such a beauty and thirty percent of the Bright Fate Escort Agency’s assets just by sitting still.’
“Hehehe.”
Do Gwang-jo let out a sinister laugh as he imagined making the kind-hearted, beautiful lady, who cared more about her surroundings even in hard and difficult times, kneel beneath his feet.
Neigh!
Until the sorrowful cry of a horse was heard.
“What is this bas…”
Do Gwang-jo, who was planning to beat up the bastard who broke his pleasant imagination, saw a strange scene.
He saw a guy carrying a horse, which humans normally ride, on his shoulders.
No matter how one looked at him, he was a madman. To think he was carrying a horse that looked to weigh at least six hundred geun?!
“Shaolin?”
Moreover, what that madman wore was a monk’s robe.
He did not know since when Shaolin monks carried horses around, but since he was a monk boasting extraordinary strength, Shaolin immediately came to mind.
That madman rushed towards him, his eyes flashing wildly.
“…Huh?”
Whoosh!
In the instant the distance closed in a flash, the flailing horse kicked its hind legs vigorously.
“Crazy!!”
Yeomwangchae did not target only commoners. Depending on the situation, there were many cases where they had to do work as rough as an escort agency.
Do Gwang-jo had grown quite experienced in this harsh Yeomwangchae industry.
Although he was temporarily flustered by such a heavy thing rushing at him, he was not one to be defeated by a simple horse’s flailing.
He barely managed to avoid the first strike by stepping back and bending his waist.
Thud!
“Kack!”
However, the force that kicked up between his legs like lightning made Do Gwang-jo’s body stiffen and float upward.
Crack!!
And something kicked Do Gwang-jo’s chest hard.
***
[Aha, look at that guy.]
[Hahaha.]
Master Zhang Sanfeng admired.
Master Bodhidharma let out a hollow laugh.
It was a spectacle worthy of it.
“A vicious fellow.”
When the boss-like guy avoided the horse’s hind kick, Beom-gak kicked up between the guy’s legs to float him up.
Indeed, it was that place where a man should avoid out of politeness.
Not content with floating him up so viciously, he even had the horse’s hind leg kick the guy’s chest.
It was a result created at the end of persistent targeting.
‘Should I call that the victory of madness?’
“Bwahahaha!”
Beom-gak laughed heartily as he swung the flailing horse around as if it were a long staff.
Neigh!
Real madness was right here.
‘For someone doing that, he seems to swing it quite well.’
It is said that when one reaches mastery in martial arts, everything caught in one’s hand can be used as a weapon, but that was truly out of bounds.
No, can that even be called a weapon?
[Should we call it Horse Art ( – )?]
[…Ha!]
“…”
The nuance was a bit off, so I had tried not to think about it, but Master Zhang Sanfeng spoke it out without hesitation.
Master Bodhidharma seemed to have lost his words, perhaps finding it absurd.
It was understandable.
A Shaolin disciple dressed like a beggar was rampaging, wielding a wild horse instead of a weapon, and his momentum was like a matchless Horse Art.
It was truly a crucible of chaos.
‘If one intended to nitpick, how many parts are there to grab onto?’
There was no place to filter out in the entire sentence.
What Beom-gak was showing right now was to that extent.
‘The others are the same…’
Although the other members of the group were not in a good state either, they rampaged madly as soon as an opportunity arose.
Ju So-ran and Myeong Il-seo had already lost their minds, and Baek Mu-ho and Jang So-wol also smashed their opponents in an instant and were currently trampling on the fallen guys.
It was no longer a battle.
[Bwahahaha! That fellow, he is quite interesting. Bwahahaha!]
Master Zhang Sanfeng burst into loud laughter. He looked extremely amused.
Seeing that Master Bodhidharma was silent, his mouth must have felt bitter.
At any rate, it was a relief that he was amused.
Then let’s watch a bit more.
…I was thinking that, but.
“Sp-spare me. Ugh! I was wrong… Argh! …I will keep my hands off!!”
The boss guy, who was being trampled by the horse’s hooves, begged for mercy, pleading.
However, Beom-gak was relentless.
“The Buddha said that if your head is shattered by a beast’s kick, you will achieve Buddhahood! My friend here will shatter your head, so achieve Buddhahood, benefactor!”
[Hahaha…]
While physically beating up the boss guy, he was also shattering Master Bodhidharma’s spirit.
‘No, which Buddha said such a thing?’
Thinking that he was saying some bizarre things, a passage from a Buddhist scripture suddenly came to mind.
Every living being has Buddha-nature, and if they meet the right time and opportunity, they can all become Buddha. Thus, all living things are like Buddha?
‘Eh? Huh?’
Looking at it that way, was that correct?
Now I was confused too.
It seemed I had to calm the situation down a bit.
If everyone gets a night of sleep, they will return to normal.
Just as I made that judgment.
“Me, me too… Ugh! …I was deceived. Oh my! It was all… Argh! …schemed by those guys. Just spare my life!”
“Wh-wh-what nonsense are you spouting!”
“Shut up, you vicious wretch. These heroic gentlemen will not forgive you!”
Suddenly, there were people reacting excessively to the boss guy’s words.
They were the ones said to be Ju So-ran’s maternal relatives.
Moreover, the boss guy’s words were also meaningful.
Master Zhang Sanfeng showed interest.
[Suspicious, right?]
“Yes. Their reaction is too strange.”
Above all, their reaction was different. They were not showing hatred, but rather looked as if they feared the words that would come out of the boss’s mouth.
A thought was pieced together in my head, making me wonder if it could be.
[Keke. Shake him down.]
Master Zhang Sanfeng pushed my back, wondering what was so amusing.
“Yes.”
It seemed there was a place to shake down, using this overflowing madness and confusion as an excuse.