Chapter 14: Staff Ghost (2)
Hair like the middle of the night sky, skin white as white jade, half-moon-shaped black eyebrows, eyes big and clear as a lake, and a gaze like starlight.
It was a jade-like face that naturally made the opponent facing her act politely.
…Was that why?
Ptooey!
When the phlegm spat by Staff Ghost landed right in the center of Ho Ye-yang’s face, the people watching were shocked.
Setting aside the realm of etiquette, it was a natural reaction that people would show upon seeing a priceless treasure damaged.
Drip—
The yellow phlegm trickled down Ho Ye-yang’s forehead and soon hung long beneath the bridge of her sharp nose.
Staff Ghost laughed heartily as he watched it.
“It looks exactly as if you have a runny nose.”
“…”
“Even if you possess a beautiful appearance, if you lack strength, you end up spat upon like this when you shouldn’t have to be, child.”
At that moment,
Clang—
Ho Yeon-am, who was beside her, drew his sword.
In his eyes, a rage like a wildfire was blazing and swirling.
“If you came here to cause a bloodbath, I will fight to the end.”
“Hahaha—can you handle it?”
“I must do so even if I cannot handle it. When a daughter suffers humiliation right before her father’s eyes.”
Ho Yeon-am spoke as if spitting out the words.
“Come outside. So that innocent people do not get dragged in.”
“I don’t know if there is a need to go outside. Let’s just do it here, Sect Leader.”
Staff Ghost also gripped the black pole he had brought.
Ho Yeon-am’s and Staff Ghost’s gazes met in one place.
At that moment,
“Please sheath your sword, Father.”
Ho Ye-yang spoke.
She raised a handkerchief and wiped off the phlegm on her face.
And then, with a smile clearer than before, she raised the bottle of alcohol.
Trickle—
Staff Ghost’s cup filled up.
Ho Ye-yang pushed the cup in front of Staff Ghost.
“Thank you for the good lesson. This is the tuition fee.”
“Do you pour alcohol for someone who spat on your face? A daughter of a martial family is doing something even a barmaid wouldn’t do.”
“I am not flattering the person who spat on my face without any pride. It is a sign of respect for a senior who has reached the supreme realm, and who must have worked tirelessly to reach that realm.”
“It seems like the same thing, but it is subtly different. So, you mean to say that after training so hard to obtain that power, the best you can do with it… is spit on the face of a young girl like you?”
“As this young girl’s eloquence is humble, you may misunderstand, but I hope you do not distort it.”
Ho Ye-yang smiled gently and gestured toward the cup with her eyes.
“So. Are you not going to drink it?”
“Hahahah—”
Even Staff Ghost clicked his tongue at Ho Ye-yang’s guts to act as if nothing had happened.
He drank the cup of alcohol Ho Ye-yang poured for him in one gulp.
And then, he stood up and clasped his hands toward Ho Yeon-am, who was beside him.
“I shall apologize for the rudeness just now. So, Sect Leader, sheath your sword as well.”
“…”
“I am saving the Sect Leader’s face. So, Sect Leader, save my face too. Let’s leave it at this.”
Having finished speaking, Staff Ghost threw the pole he was holding behind him.
Thud—
As the black pole fell to the ground, a cloud of dust rose along with a heavy noise.
Ho Ye-yang sent a look to Ho Yeon-am.
Soon, Ho Yeon-am sheathed his sword after a long sigh.
Staff Ghost smiled toward Ho Yeon-am as if he had never raised his presence in the first place.
“Your daughter is very lively and witty. It must be fun raising her. How about a son-in-law like me?”
“Where is there a son-in-law older than his father-in-law?”
“Indeed—that is true as well. What a pity. If only I had been born a bit later. Just about fifty years or so.”
Staff Ghost sighed while stroking his beard.
Soon, he spoke as if he suddenly remembered something.
“Ah, right. I almost forgot.”
“?”
As Ho Yeon-am raised his head, Staff Ghost spoke in a sly tone.
“Well, in any case. Since I ended up unable to collect the tribute the Black Path Gang was originally supposed to pay, my situation is truly miserable.”
Although he spoke casually as if he had just thought of it,
“If I return to the Alliance empty-handed like this, the Alliance Leader will severely reprimand me. Perhaps my buttocks might even be whipped. Ah, indeed. My two hands are too light.”
In fact, this was Staff Ghost’s main point.
Money. Tribute.
That was practically the purpose of Staff Ghost coming to the Tiger Pit Sect today and making a mess.
From Staff Ghost’s eyes, a blue light flowed out once again.
“There is no heterodox sect of the Black Path Gang’s scale within this Anhui Province. I have already swept through the small places once… but it was far from enough to meet the target amount.”
“So, what is your intention?”
“Since I cannot receive the money because the Black Path Gang disappeared, what else can I do. I have no choice but to collect it from the pockets of the great heroes of the orthodox sects who will benefit from the Black Path Gang’s disappearance.”
Staff Ghost smiled broadly at Ho Yeon-am and continued speaking.
“Honestly. I do not care who wiped out the Black Path Gang, or who destroyed the Cao Family Manor. I just need to match the target amount.”
“…”
“Since I saved the Sect Leader’s face earlier, Sect Leader, please save my face a little as well.”
Ho Yeon-am stared at Staff Ghost with a furrowed brow.
“So you are saying you will collect tribute from sects belonging to the orthodox path.”
“Tribute? It is condolence money. Let us speak politely to each other, Sect Leader.”
“That condolence money. Did you also charge the Namgung Clan, which symbolizes the righteous path of Anhui Province?”
“There? Am I crazy? I came to get money, not to be torn to pieces and die.”
Staff Ghost laughed and waved his hand.
And he continued in a languid tone.
“They say the Tiger Pit Sect made a tidy sum from the escort mission this time, right? That amount should be just right for the condolence money to be paid to the Black Path Gang members who died pitifully. It will also be a small comfort to me, who came all this way to collect the tribute and failed several times.”
“…I can give it to you. However, I need time. Because I must first deduct the condolence money to be given to those who died or were injured in the escort mission.”
“In general, time is something that is lacking for everyone. Just as you have no time, I have no time either.”
Staff Ghost’s attitude was stubborn.
Ho Yeon-am’s attempt to buy time ended in failure.
Ho Yeon-am closed his eyes tightly.
If Staff Ghost harbored bad intentions, the members of the Tiger Pit Sect here would be wiped out tonight.
Even if they asked the nearby Namgung Clan for help, there was no time, and it was also doubtful whether the Namgung Clan would help them properly.
In the end,
“…Bring all the payment.”
Ho Yeon-am had no choice but to make such a decision as the Sect Leader of the Tiger Pit Sect.
Soon, the escorts brought the payment received from this escort mission.
Ho Yeon-am clenched his teeth tightly.
“I will hand over the payment, so do not touch even a single hair of our Tiger Pit Sect’s members.”
“Haha—why are you being like this, Sect Leader? I also have a daughter of marriageable age. And even if you had not given me the money, nothing would have happened to the Tiger Pit Sect. For giving condolence money voluntarily, your aura is too sharp. Well, in any case, thank you.”
Looking at the money contained in the large leather bag, Staff Ghost smirked.
Clink—clink—clink—clank—
The sound of counting money echoed loudly in the manor.
Soon, Staff Ghost nodded his head.
“The calculation is exactly correct.”
And then, he picked up a gold ingot from the bag and threw it.
…Clatter!
The gold ingot thrown by Staff Ghost fell onto Ho Ye-yang’s table.
“Here, child. It is the price for spitting earlier.”
“…”
Ho Ye-yang did not look at the gold ingot.
She merely bowed her head silently toward Staff Ghost.
“Well then. I shall be well-consoled and leave, Sect Leader.”
Staff Ghost put on his bamboo hat while laughing heartily.
And then, slinging the bag of money over the pole he was holding, he trudged toward the main gate.
It was a calm and relaxed attitude just like when he first appeared.
* * *
Whoosh—
A cold wind blew in the Tiger Pit Sect’s manor.
The scene after the banquet ended was miserable.
A limping end of the gathering.
The visitors all returned quietly.
Only the members of the Tiger Pit Sect remained in the empty seats, immersed in a gloomy atmosphere.
“…I will head inside first.”
After Ho Yeon-am returned to the inner room with his wife Sa Ji-won and daughter Ho Ye-yang, the other members also scattered, seeking their respective shelters.
Among the returning crowd, the stable boys trembled as they walked to the stable.
“Did you hear? They say that fake monk’s moniker is Staff Ghost. He seems to be an extremely scary martial artist.”
“I heard the escorts talking earlier, and they said that old man alone could have killed everyone gathered here.”
“It is extremely fortunate that it ended with giving money. Isn’t a person’s life the most important?”
“I was scared of that fake monk from the moment I first saw him. The atmosphere he exuded somehow felt exactly like a human butcher…”
At that moment, Woo Dong-won popped out from among the stable boys.
“Where is that bastard!?”
He had packed all the remaining rice cakes and meat in the hem of his clothes.
The stable boys brightened up.
“Wow! Chief! When did you pack that?”
“I thought we wouldn’t be able to eat anymore because the gathering was ruined! What a relief!”
“As expected, the only one who thinks of us is our Chief!”
“Come here quickly! Let’s all share and eat!”
However, Woo Dong-won repeatedly kicked the buttocks of the gathering boys.
“Not you guys! Where is Chui!”
Woo Dong-won searched for Chui with rice cakes and meat in his hand.
“Chui! My beloved Chui! Where did you go!?”
He trembled as he thought of when he first met Staff Ghost earlier.
He had almost treated a master carelessly without recognizing him and met a dog’s death.
The one who prevented that was Chui, whom he had ignored and mistreated.
‘You should live the rest of your life feeling grateful to this kid. Because you have received the grace of saving your life.’
Staff Ghost’s voice was still chilling in his ears.
What would have happened if Chui had not bravely stepped forward to block his hand?
“This punk Chui! You turned out to be a real man! I am also a man, so I know how to repay a favor! Eat all of this rice cake and meat! Huh?”
Woo Dong-won and the other stable boys began to look around.
But it was a strange thing.
“Come to think of it, where did this kid go?”
“Huh? He was here until just now though?”
“…Did he go to the outhouse or something?”
Because no one knew where Chui, who was here just moments ago, had gone in the meantime.
Unrivaled Spear Ghost