WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Chen
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ The Martial Genius who Remembers Everything ◈
Chapter 87: The Time of the Hunt
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“Daoist Myeonghyeon of the Mount Cang Sect has come to visit.”
At the words of the Mantong Office official, Jegal Somyeong's brow furrowed deeply.
“Did you say I was unavailable?”
Although Jegal Somyeong, the Martial Alliance's Grand Strategist and head of both the Mantong Office and the Profound Mystery Pavilion, spoke with obvious displeasure, the official who delivered the message answered without a trace of tension, as though it had nothing to do with them.
“They say they came after checking the Alliance's entry records.”
Had it been anyone else, they would have trembled with apologies, unsure how to answer.
“...”
Jegal Somyeong, who had briefly escaped reality by letting their thoughts drift elsewhere, let out a long sigh.
“...Hah. Of all days. I already have mountains of work to handle.”
The examination had grown even more heated than the previous Martial Arts Academy examination, and the documents awaiting Jegal Somyeong's review had filled one desk and piled onto the floor.
Whenever Daoist Myeonghyeon came and went, Jegal Somyeong's mood worsened, slowing their work even further.
“If they keep standing outside, the staff will have trouble working. Please get rid of them quickly.”
“...”
If anyone else had dared say such a thing, Jegal Somyeong would have beaten them into a pulp and thrown them out. But since the words had come from Maeng Juwon, Jegal Somyeong gritted their teeth and endured it.
“...Show them in.”
With that, Jegal Somyeong moved to a table at one side of the Mantong Office.
It was a shabby table Jegal Somyeong would never normally use, one brought in so the Mantong Office staff could eat hurried meals.
Soon after, Daoist Myeonghyeon of the Mount Cang Sect entered under Maeng Juwon's guidance.
“I greet the Grand Strategist.”
“Welcome.”
After they exchanged brief fist-and-palm salutes, Jegal Somyeong sat down. Daoist Myeonghyeon, however, did not sit at the humble table and instead looked around the room.
“It seems quite noisy here. Wouldn't it be better to move elsewhere?”
As someone who had always received the highest treatment afforded to senior figures within the Martial Alliance, Daoist Myeonghyeon found it deeply uncomfortable to hold a conversation in a Mantong Office that was no different from a cluttered storeroom.
Jegal Somyeong understood that and nodded.
“My apologies. I'm so pressed for time that I'm receiving a guest in a place like this. If it makes you uncomfortable, why don't we arrange to meet somewhere better another time?”
If you don't like it, leave.
The obvious dismissal made Daoist Myeonghyeon's face crumple like paper. Then, as though giving up, they sat down.
“Ahem. This will do. Who knows when we'll meet again?”
“...”
Maeng Juwon, who had been handling the reception, brought over tea.
Daoist Myeonghyeon's brow immediately creased again.
Maeng Juwon carried the sour smell of someone who had not washed for days.
“Ahem.”
Daoist Myeonghyeon openly showed their displeasure, but Maeng Juwon paid no attention. They set down the tea, returned to their place, and resumed working like a corpse.
It was irritating to see someone show no nervousness before an Alliance elder, but Daoist Myeonghyeon remembered that this was the talent Jegal Somyeong had personally sought out and recruited from White Tiger Pavilion. They suppressed their anger.
“Hehe. My apologies. Since the Martial Arts Academy examination has begun, the staff can barely find time to eat.”
Along with its usual work, the Mantong Office was now overseeing the Martial Arts Academy examination. Its already limited staff were being worked to the bone.
The Mantong Office had always suffered from a lack of personnel, but the unusually heated examination had made the workload even worse this year.
“Ahem, don't mention it. Isn't it the scent of people working for the martial world's future?”
“Would you like more tea?”
“...No, thank you.”
After casually teasing Daoist Myeonghyeon, Jegal Somyeong went straight to the point. They had far too much work to waste time chatting with the Daoist.
“What brings you here?”
“At this year's Advanced Scholar Examination, a disciple of our Mount Cang Sect, Mu Muntak, failed by a regrettably narrow margin.”
Jegal Somyeong's face tightened again.
Did they really have to discuss this when Jegal Somyeong was busy enough to die?
“Isn't the reason the Mantong Office always suffers from a shortage of staff the Grand Strategist's strict examination?”
“...”
The Martial Alliance selected scholarly Alliance disciples so that its affairs could be handled smoothly, but anyone who wished to enter the Mantong Office had to take a separate Advanced Scholar Examination proposed by the Grand Strategist.
The test was so viciously difficult that no one had passed it for several years.
“How can you say it's solely my fault? The problem is the Martial Arts Academy examination, which focuses only on martial arts and background.”
“...”
After being appointed Grand Strategist, Jegal Somyeong had repeatedly called for sweeping reforms to the Martial Arts Academy and regular examination system, but every attempt had failed.
“Didn't I tell you? If the Martial Arts Academy examination is run this way, it will only admit people with money despite lacking ability, or those who learned nothing but martial arts and ignored scholarship.”
“We aren't here to discuss the current examination, are we?”
“...”
No matter how many times Jegal Somyeong said it, these people only wanted to hear what suited them.
“Furthermore, I heard that the Mantong Office staff cannot even return home due to this year's intense examination.”
“That is so.”
“Mu Muntak is renowned in our sect as someone with exceptional learning and a keen understanding of martial arts. Why not bring Mu Muntak in through special admission this time?”
No matter how badly it lacked staff, the Mantong Office, which moved not only the Martial Alliance but the entire martial world, could not remain understaffed.
Those who achieved the best results at the Martial Arts Academy or met Jegal Somyeong's approval were allowed to enter the Mantong Office.
Daoist Myeonghyeon wanted that exception.
‘They aren't even clever enough to be foxes.’
Jegal Somyeong had long known that the Orthodox Society, led by the Nine Sects One Gang, wanted to gain influence in the Mantong Office.
They wanted to expand their foothold there, use it to turn the Orthodox Society, currently dismissed as a social club, into an official body called the Orthodox Hall, and eventually swallow the Martial Alliance whole. That was their pitiful grand design.
“I did not wish to say this because it might sound as if I were criticizing you personally, Daoist Myeonghyeon, but Mu Muntak did not even complete half the test within the time limit. Moreover, half of the questions Mu Muntak did answer were entirely wrong.”
“...”
Daoist Myeonghyeon's face twisted even more deeply than when they had smelled Maeng Juwon's stench.
“If you want to force someone in, at least bring someone halfway competent.”
“...Someone like Jin Sowoon of the Taeul Sect?”
“...?”
For the first time, Jegal Somyeong felt their thoughts come to a halt in surprise.
Why was that boy's name being brought up here?
“There was quite a stir for a while, was there not? Over the identity of the boy who received the first Academy Admission Token the Grand Strategist had ever issued, despite never having given one even to their own clan...”
The Grand Strategist and the Martial Alliance Leader were each given five Academy Admission Tokens.
While the Martial Alliance Leader regularly used them for political or personal purposes, Jegal Somyeong had never once used one.
When word spread that Jegal Somyeong had used one for the first time, the entire Martial Alliance had been abuzz.
“But what can be done? It seems that boy will suffer a great ordeal during the Martial Arts Academy examination.”
“...”
A triumphant smile appeared on Daoist Myeonghyeon's face for the first time.
“I hear that disciples from our sect are moving to target him. Furthermore, disciples from the Wudang Sect and Mount Hua Sect are involved as well.”
Disciples from three of the strongest sects among the Nine Sects One Gang were moving?
Surely there would be no disciple capable of facing them.
“Let us do this. Our Mount Cang Sect will protect that boy. It seems Wudang and Mount Hua are targeting him. If he moves with Mount Cang, what can they do?”
If he was lucky, they would only take his Gate Tokens and Academy Admission Token.
In the worst case, death was possible.
“In return, please make good use of Mu Muntak.”
“...”
A heavy silence settled between the two.
Even the Mantong Office staff seemed to be listening in secret. Not even the sound of papers turning could be heard.
Just before the room was swallowed by that deep silence, Jegal Somyeong slowly opened their mouth.
“...Who are you talking about?”
“...Pardon?”
“I clearly gave the Academy Admission Token to the Namgung Clan's... Ah!”
Jegal Somyeong slapped their forehead.
“That is right! Things became rather troublesome then, so I gave it to a disciple from some sect called Taeul...”
“...”
“I thought Namgung San would take it back. Was I mistaken?”
Jegal Somyeong turned to look at Maeng Juwon.
As though waiting for the question, Maeng Juwon replied.
“Since the Namgung Clan is participating in the examination, it appears to still belong to Jin Sowoon.”
“Is that so...?”
A sneer formed on Daoist Myeonghyeon's lips. What a pathetic attempt at deception...
Just as they were about to snap back,
“Honestly, Daoist Myeonghyeon, enough is enough. Tsk. If you truly wish to place someone in the Mantong Office to accomplish that grand design of yours, at least bring someone who can think. Stop pushing in fools whose heads don't work, like yourself.”
“W-what did you just say?”
When Daoist Myeonghyeon shouted, Jegal Somyeong lowered their voice.
“Ever since you became an elder, you think nothing is beyond you. Shall I teach you another lesson like before?”
“What are you talking about... I, I am an elder of the Martial Alliance...”
“And I am the Martial Alliance's Grand Strategist.”
“...”
A past they thought they had forgotten rose to Daoist Myeonghyeon's mind, making their body tremble.
“Go back. I'm busy.”
Daoist Myeonghyeon, trembling with humiliation, slammed the door shut and left.
At that moment, the documents Jegal Somyeong needed to handle came tumbling down.
“Tsk. Give a position to someone beyond their ability, and this is what happens.”
“Why not just accept Mu Muntak?”
Maeng Juwon grumbled while picking up the documents scattered across the floor.
Jegal Somyeong frowned.
“What?”
“You could at least make Mu Muntak clean the Mantong Office. Look at this place. You can't even tell whether this is the Mantong Office, a butcher shop, or a command center.”
“...”
“Besides, Jin Sowoon is moving with only three others. What if he really dies? Then the Mantong Office might have to work overtime until we die of old age.”
“You little... Do you know how much work the Mantong Office...?”
There was a limit to how much indulgence Jegal Somyeong could show. Just as they were about to scold Maeng Juwon, a question suddenly came to mind.
“Come to think of it, how do you know Jin Sowoon?”
Earlier, Maeng Juwon had immediately answered Jegal Somyeong's casual question about the Namgung Clan. Now they seemed to know quite a lot about Jin Sowoon as well.
“I have been keeping watch since I heard the Grand Strategist gave him an Academy Admission Token. But this boy is remarkable. How could four people...?”
From the events at Mount Cheonmok to the recent incident at Mount Makgan, Maeng Juwon knew everything Jegal Somyeong had secretly been watching.
“Tsk, tsk. You neglect the work you are supposed to do. Is that why you work overtime every day?”
“Isn't he a talent destined for the Mantong Office? As a future senior, I should look after him in advance.”
“Hah... Do you know how many years remain before that boy graduates from the Martial Arts Academy and comes here?”
“Any grand design should be prepared with a ten-year horizon, should it not? I have no desire to work overtime here after I get married as well.”
The smug way Maeng Juwon said it was quite unpleasant.
“...Did you not just hear? Mount Cang, Wudang, and Mount Hua are targeting him. He will be fortunate if he survives.”
“But did you not just say, ‘Do you know how many years it will take?’ Doesn't that mean you expect him to pass?”
“...”
Clever people were too quick to notice things. Jegal Somyeong hated it.
Perhaps, as Daoist Myeonghyeon said, they really should look for some people who could at least handle simple tasks.
After thinking for a while, Jegal Somyeong looked at Maeng Juwon. Their hair was greasy from not being washed for days, but they did not smell foul like before.
“What was that stench earlier?”
“I caught a few yellow drunken bugs. If the Grand Strategist starts slacking off, we become even more exhausted.”
“You brat!”
Jegal Somyeong finally lost their patience and splashed tea at Maeng Juwon, but Maeng Juwon avoided it as though they had expected it.
Watching Maeng Juwon tuck their tail and flee, Jegal Somyeong cursed.
“Still... Will he pass the regular examination?”
His every action had been unusual, including the incident at Demon Spirit Plateau.
Recently, Jegal Somyeong had heard that Jin Sowoon had taken Jegal Cheongi from the Jegal Clan, where he had been imprisoned. Jegal Somyeong had sat in a daze for quite some time afterward.
How had Jin Sowoon persuaded those fools with minds as hard as stone?
And Jegal Cheongi was someone who would not even listen to his own grandfather. How had Jin Sowoon freed someone who had willingly thrown himself into the Golden Prison?
The Academy Admission Token Jegal Somyeong had given out of simple curiosity was beginning to carry greater expectations.
Jegal Somyeong was truly curious whether a boy who was almost entirely alone could really pass the regular examination.
#
After leaving Mount Makgan, our journey had gone so smoothly that it was unsettling.
The attacks had stopped completely.
“I don't know whether this is good news or not.”
Eunho said that while warming himself by the fire and chewing dried meat for the first time in days.
I looked at him after hearing that.
“Why are you looking at me, Grand Senior Brother?”
He looked like the most miserable beggar imaginable.
“I only looked because you said something ominous.”
Geumpyo scolded Eunho from beside him.
Geumpyo looked no better. He practically resembled a wild beast.
Dongryong, meanwhile, was devouring roasted rabbit at one side. When our eyes met, he gave me a bright smile before returning to the rabbit.
Even Beggar Sect disciples would have taken one look at us and run away, calling us filthy.
“...Let's stop by a village first.”
“What? What if pursuers catch up to us...?”
“Pursuers aren't the important thing right now.”
“Then what is?”
“I'm afraid people will see you and mistake you for Beggar Sect disciples instead of Taeul Sect disciples.”
“...”
“...”
Geumpyo and Eunho looked at each other, then nodded silently.
#
The fact that no one was attacking us right now did not mean we were safe. It might be easier to face our enemies if we simply moved openly.
‘It will take Wudang, Mount Cang, and Mount Hua some time to move as well.’
When I heard Yang Gunbaek's words, I could only tilt my head in confusion.
Wudang was in Hubei Province, while Mount Hua and Mount Cang were both in Shaanxi Province. Were they really going all the way to Zhejiang Province just to catch us?
[They are not the main disciples of each sect.]
That had been Yang Gunbaek's answer to my question.
[That does not mean they are opponents you can ignore, as I am sure you know well, Lord Sowoon.]
Major sects had far more than one or two disciples. Each disciple received different support depending on their master's interests.
Some were core disciples who received direct support from the Wudang Sect and were accompanied by Wudang Sect disciples.
Below them were disciples who received direct support from Wudang but were protected by Wudang's lay-affiliated martial sects.
Lastly, there were Wudang disciples who received no direct support. They were backed by merchant groups they belonged to and took the examination with martial artists from their own families.
[Those targeting you are disciples who receive direct support but are accompanied by disciples from lay-affiliated martial sects, Lord Sowoon.]
The lay-affiliated martial sects of the Nine Sects One Gang and the Five Great Clans possessed greater martial strength than most small and medium-sized sects.
They could not surpass the core groups within the same province, so competition forced them to travel far away.
As a result, the disciples of existing small and medium-sized sects in those provinces suffered after being pushed aside by them.
“Even so, it is surprising that they are coming all the way to Zhejiang Province.”
If someone else took our Gate Tokens before they arrived, they would be like dogs that chased a chicken only to lose it.
[I suspect there was some prior agreement.]
Even if they were not core disciples, a group formed from the Wudang, Mount Hua, and Mount Cang Sects could never be underestimated.
[So please be careful.]
#
Yang Gunbaek's final words continued to linger in my ears.
After crossing Zhejiang Province and entering Jiangsu Province, the Gold, Silver, and Bronze brothers became a little excited as Suzhou came into view.
“I heard Suzhou's Four Great Gardens are famous. Do you think we can visit them?”
At Geumpyo's relaxed words, Eunho clicked his tongue.
“Gardens? Have you already forgotten that we're taking Hell's Entrance Exam?”
“Who said I forgot? I only brought it up because I heard they were famous.”
“Sometimes, I think Geumpyo is more childish than Dongryong.”
Geumpyo bristled at Eunho's words and asked Dongryong,
“Dongryong, what do you want to do when we get to Suzhou?”
“Hm? ...Um. Grand Senior Brother, what food is Suzhou famous for?”
“I am not sure. I heard its freshwater fish dishes are famous...”
Dongryong quickly nodded.
“I want to eat fish dishes when we get to Suzhou.”
“Hah...”
Eunho let out a long sigh and shook his head.
I smiled at them.
“We may not be able to visit the gardens, but let's try all the food.”
“Will that be alright?”
Geumpyo sneered at Eunho's concern.
“You are worried, so you can stand guard while we eat.”
“...Do you think you can say whatever you want?”
“What? Did you just call your senior brother ‘this’?! Grand Senior Brother! This bastard just...”
The Gold and Silver brothers had been bickering when, at some point, they noticed the gazes around us and stopped moving.
“...”
After entering Suzhou and heading toward the busy district, we found ourselves surrounded on both sides by countless martial artists carrying swords. Whispers drifted over from afar.
“Are they from the Taeul Sect?”
“Probably.”
“I heard they have a lot of Gate Tokens.”
“Many people are after them.”
“We should get in on that too.”
The Gold, Silver, and Bronze brothers could not hear the exact words, but the pressure of those gazes seemed to weigh heavily on them. They pressed their lips together.
“This way.”
Until I spoke, they had been walking in another direction like wooden dolls. Then they hurried over and stuck close to me like chicks following their parents.
“Relax. Looking too tense will only make them see an opening.”
“...Yes.”
“Yes.”
“Yes, Grand Senior Brother.”
Eunho rolled his shoulders and neck as though trying to loosen up at my words.
The moment we entered the inn, though, his expression froze stiff.
“...”
“...”
“...”
The noisy inn fell silent in an instant.
Everyone with a sword, on both the first and second floors, was staring in our direction.
It looked like something out of a terrible nightmare.
Even the waiter, who had been busily moving about, seemed to sense that something was wrong. They stopped midway toward us, unsure what to do.
“Can we sit anywhere?”
Only then did the waiter come to their senses.
“Ah, y-yes. Please sit wherever you are comfortable.”
“What is this place known for?”
“Most people order Dongpo Pork.”
“I heard Suzhou is famous for fish dishes.”
“Ah... Then why not try the Squirrel-Shaped Mandarin Fish?”
“Bring us Squirrel-Shaped Mandarin Fish, Dongpo Pork, Jingjiang Pork Slivers, plain noodles, and dumplings.”
“Are there more people in your party?”
“No, it is only us.”
“...Ah, understood.”
“Oh, and heat some water while we eat. Buy us some clothes too.”
“Yes! Please wait just a moment.”
When I placed three taels of silver on the table, the waiter, who had been trembling with unease until then, brightened visibly and headed into the kitchen.
“Grand Senior Brother, did you need to tell them it was only us?”
Eunho whispered quietly, conscious of our surroundings.
The people inside the inn made no sound, not even the clink of chopsticks, as though trying to hear every word.
“We will continue to face hardship from now on. Do not shrink back over what we have endured so far.”
“...I suppose that is true.”
We had defeated the Zhejiang sects, including the Huang Sword Sect and the Cheongdo Fellowship, which had served as a warning. Still, so long as we carried Gate Tokens, this peace would not last.
Before we passed the third and final gate, and after we did, even more enemies would be waiting for us.
Right now, elites from the Wudang Sect, Mount Hua Sect, and Mount Cang Sect were racing toward us from beyond the province.
Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap, clap.
A young master in silk robes slowly descended from the second-floor stairs, clapping his hands.
Two martial artists who looked to be in their thirties stood close at either side of him like guards.
“What remarkable nerve.”
The young master stopped in front of us with a smile on his lips.
“I expected you to move in this direction, but I did not expect you to act so openly.”
“...”
“Would you mind if I joined your table?”
Our table was large enough to seat eight people.
Still, I shook my head.
“I do not enjoy having my meals interrupted.”
Step. Step.
As expected, the martial artists beside the young master moved as though they were about to draw their swords.
Looking at things like this, it felt as though all bodyguards followed the same training.
Something like, ‘If your charge's words are ignored, at least pretend to step in.’
“I would not call it compensation, but I will treat you to a meal.”
“Junior brothers, what are you doing? Make room for our guest.”
“...”
The young master's guards looked at me as though I were insane.
What? Was there anyone who disliked free food?
“...”
After a moment, Eunho nodded.
“Grand Senior Brother, then we can order more, right?”
“Of course. Judging by the fact that this young master wears silk rather than martial clothes despite heading into battle, he seems to have money rotting away.”
Despite my mockery, the young master in silk only continued smiling.
“Waiter! Bring sunflower chicken and scallion-mixed tofu! Ah, and some braised beef as well!”
“Hey! Let's try twice-cooked pork. Gye Cheolyeong bragged about it so much.”
“Bring twice-cooked pork too!”
We ordered an excessive amount of food to get under his skin, but the young master's expression barely changed. He clasped his hands in a fist-and-palm salute.
“I am Song Baek of the Radiant Flower Escort Agency, which is based in Suzhou.”
The Radiant Flower Escort Agency.
It was one of the five largest escort agencies north of the Yangtze River.
By nature, escort agencies had one foot in commerce and one in the martial world. They were special organizations that possessed both wealth and martial strength.
“Do you need Gate Tokens?”
The entire inn stirred at my blunt question.
Countless martial artists watched us with tense expressions.
Song Baek, on the other hand, did not lose the smile on his lips.
“You really are as extraordinary as I heard.”
“Is that so?”
“I have passed both the first and second gates.”
As the young master of an escort agency, he likely knew about most of the strongholds north of the Yangtze River.
Since he had a foot in commerce as well, it probably had not been difficult for him to obtain elixir pellets.
“Then did you need to come looking for me?”
“Has your schedule not become somewhat easier after crossing Mount Makgan?”
“...”
The waiter came out carrying a mountain of food, but neither the Gold, Silver, and Bronze brothers nor I spoke. We only watched Song Baek.
“In Jiangsu Province... at least in Suzhou, you may live comfortably. The Radiant Flower Escort Agency will keep an eye on the Taeul Sect disciples.”
Suzhou was a city overflowing with people and goods, even compared to most provincial capitals, yet the Radiant Flower Escort Agency claimed it held the city firmly in its grasp.
Not a single person in the inn mocked Song Baek's words.
“Is there a need to show us such kindness?”
Song Baek shook his head as though troubled.
“I do not need to...”
Then his eyes gleamed sharply.
“But my senior brothers do.”
“...”
“Have you not already met Senior Brother Jong Byeokgi?”
I had wondered why Jong Byeokgi, the Flying Cloud New Wind of the Dragon-Phoenix Association, was suddenly being mentioned.
“I am a lay disciple of the Mount Cang Sect.”
“Ah... I see.”
Clink. Clink.
As soon as Jong Byeokgi was mentioned, the Gold, Silver, and Bronze brothers began moving their spoons and chopsticks.
Song Baek glanced at the three brothers before continuing.
“Senior Brother Jong told us many stories.”
“Were they good things?”
“How could they have been?”
Jong Byeokgi had raised conspiracy theories about whether the Taeul Sword Emperor's true legacy belonged to the Taeul Sect, only to be beaten into a pulp by Moyong Gang.
I had expected that, in exchange for ceasing his strange behavior, he would be dragged around by Moyong Gang and suffer. Had he already been able to move around?
“That is why my other senior brothers seem to bear quite a grudge against Young Master Jin as well.”
Martial artists dressed like Song Baek's guards began descending from the second floor.
Every one of them carried an unusual presence.
“Will you stay with us until my senior brothers arrive? I would be in quite a difficult position if someone gets to you first.”
“Do you have money?”
“Pardon?”
“You said you would buy us food. I am asking whether you have money.”
Song Baek snickered, then pulled out a pouch.
“I will host you at the finest restaurant.”
I immediately grabbed his head and slammed it into the table.
Thud.
The wooden tabletop had been neatly cleaved where his head struck it.
He had wrapped qi around his head to keep it from shattering.
As a result, Song Baek received the full impact of the qi, and blood streamed from his seven orifices.
“Y-you crazy...”
Clang! Clang!
Every martial artist, including the guards, drew their swords.
I pulled Song Baek close and placed my sword against his throat.
“Do you wish to watch your young master die before your eyes?”
“...”
“...”
Song Baek's martial artists radiated a murderous air, as though they were about to fight a battle to the death. In response, the martial artists throughout the inn also began placing their hands on their sword hilts.
Then,
Slurp.
Sluuurp.
Smack, smack.
The sounds of people eating echoed through the tense inn.
Everyone's eyes naturally turned in that direction.
The Gold, Silver, and Bronze brothers were completely focused on stuffing food into their mouths, regardless of whether a sword fight broke out.
When I stared at them in disbelief, Geumpyo read the room and finally spoke.
“If we do not eat now... Gulp. Who knows when we will get another chance to eat this... Slurp.”
“Grand Senior Brother, p-please hold them off a little longer. The food is still hot.”
After saying that, the three brothers became busy putting food into their mouths again.
“...”
Not only the Radiant Flower Escort Agency martial artists, but everyone in the inn looked at the Gold, Silver, and Bronze brothers as though they were insane.
This is so embarrassing.
Footnotes:
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