Chapter 58
“Those dumplings will be gone in no time.”
Soso, embarrassed by Sawu’s remark, slowly put down the dumpling she’d been holding.
She wanted to answer, but her mouth was too full to speak.
The man sitting across from her — Sawu — snorted and pushed his glass of water toward her with a smile.
“Eat. We’ll order more.”
“Phew. I didn’t eat anything all day yesterday, so I’m starving.”
“I see.”
“Then why aren’t you eating, Sawu?”
“Watching you eat is more fun than eating myself.”
“Are you teasing me?”
“I’m serious.”
Sawu propped his chin on the table as if he intended to study Soso’s manner of eating closely.
What expression might be on his face now?
A black brim on his head shaded his features so much she still couldn’t make out his face.
“Are you a martial artist, Sawu? Could you tell me which school you belong to?”
“I’m the greatest of old and new. The sect is… well.”
“You won’t tell me?”
Sawu picked up one of the dumplings Soso had been enjoying.
“Maybe next time. Once we get a bit closer?”
“……”
“Come on, tell me your story. Why were you caught by that little Dodong? Is he with the party you’re looking for?”
“That Dodong isn’t someone I’ve known long. The group I’m trying to find is different.”
“So that Dodong kidnapped you, then.”
“He probably thought I was just an ordinary Doraji. He doesn’t know my identity as Mannyeonseolsam. I don’t know why he took me.”
Soso was just as curious as anyone.
At that moment someone approached the table where they were sitting.
It was a man dressed in plain black clothing.
“My lady, you are quite beautiful. Let me buy you a dumpling and talk a little with me, will you?”
Only then did Soso realize she hadn’t covered her face with the scarf.
She was glad to have a pretty face, but she didn’t like being pestered by ruffians.
Soso swallowed the dumpling she had stuffed in her mouth in one gulp and looked up at the man.
Perhaps because she’d been associating with handsome men lately, the approaching man’s face seemed particularly ugly.
Maybe it was because his sticky gaze had been roaming over her features.
“Sorry, but I’m with companions.”
Soso declined politely. She didn’t want to make a fuss first thing in the morning.
“Are you talking about this fellow?”
The man glared at Sawu with a crooked look.
“Listen, you’d better give up this lady while I’m on my good side. If I were to introduce myself, I’m the Black-Blood Demon Swordsman of the Black Society — Choo Sang-ho.”
“Black-Blood Demon Swordsman?”
It sounded like a clumsy patchwork of scary-sounding words rather than a real title.
Besides, the man didn’t look strong at all. Compared to him, the calm, gentle Sawu seemed much more formidable.
Soso herself wasn’t a martial artist, so she didn’t know such nicknames well.
She asked Sawu, “Do you know that nickname?”
“No. Some riffraff, I guess.”
Sawu shrugged.
He, like Soso, didn’t seem particularly threatened by Choo Sang-ho.
“You fool! Don’t you know how terrifying the Black Society is? It’s powerful enough to make shamans and the Jegal clan step aside for us.”
“It’s probably just a fringe sect.”
Ah — so “Black Society” was a kind of sapa (heretical/rogue) group.
Sapa are usually the bad guys, that’s what Lord Unwoo had said.
“You dare prattle like your life’s not worth anything!”
“Shut up. Leave.”
“What did you say?”
Swish!
Choo Sang-ho drew his sword.
“Sang-ho hyung!”
Choo Sang-ho’s companions rushed forward and stood behind him.
“You don’t understand what you’re up against. The resurgent Demon Cult is backing the Black Society! If you hand the woman over now, we’ll spare your life.”
“…The Demon Cult?”
At that one word, Sawu’s tone became chilly.
“You expect the Demon Cult to be in league with the likes of you?”
“That’s right. That’s why the shamans of Ho-buk and the scholars of the Jegal family have been silent while we run rampant. Ha ha ha!”
Sang-ho’s boast was cut off by a sudden choking sound. A large dumpling had lodged in his mouth.
In an instant his body went slack and he thudded backward.
“…!”
Sawu had thrown a dumpling into Sang-ho’s mouth at a speed so fast it was invisible.
Soso, though right in front of him, hadn’t even seen Sawu’s hand move.
‘Wow, what a master,’ she thought.
Soso felt far more tense now than when Sang-ho had been threatening them.
“Sang-ho hyung! That bastard! I won’t forgive him!”
“Go ahead. Don’t let him.”
There were four Black Society men behind Sang-ho in total. Four swords slashed out toward Sawu.
Their footwork was fairly quick, but none of the blades reached Sawu. Not even the edge of his clothing was brushed.
“Guhk!”
“Gyaa!”
“Gahk!”
“Aaah!”
They all screamed and were hurled into different parts of the inn.
Dumplings were stuck to each of their faces as they fell unconscious.
Sawu, once again moving with invisible speed, had thrown dumplings at the four martial artists from the table.
Curiously, although he had thrown them with force and internal energy, none of the dumplings burst.
Soso swallowed hard.
‘…Incredible. He might even be a match for Namgung Sohyup.’
Sawu clicked his tongue at the prone men.
“You shouldn’t spread lies about the Demon Cult… I’ve just needlessly wasted dumplings.”
“Lies?”
“Yes. The Demon Cult has no ties to a shabby sapa like the Black Society. Maybe they used henchmen a few times, but that’s it.”
“Are you saying the Demon Cult and… you might be connected?”
“Who knows. Maybe.”
He didn’t know.
Although Sawu spoke as if he were some kind of Demon Cult member, there was not the slightest malevolent aura about him.
On the contrary, he was quietly kind; it was hard to call him an evildoer without hesitation.
“How can I make you tell the truth?”
“Just know that I’m strong.”
“Then you won’t throw dumplings at me, right?”
“As long as you don’t run away.”
Sawu smiled gently.
To Soso, that smile felt chilling.
“Jeom So-i, bring those dumplings back here.”
The somewhat young inn assistant, Jeom So-i, trembled and hurried over.
“…Yes! Please wait a moment.”
“And the cost for the dumplings and that broken table…”
Sawu rose from his seat and searched the pockets of the fallen Black Society men one by one.
Soon his hand held several pouches of coins. He tossed them to Jeom So-i.
“Use this to pay.”
But Jeom So-i handed the pouches back to Sawu.
“B-But if we take this money, the innkeeper will be furious.”
Come to think of it, Choo Sang-ho’s bluster about the owner of Ho-buk changing sounded ridiculous.
Even if the shamans and the Jegal clan were quiet, Ho-buk was explicitly guarded by two clans.
Soso wondered why such groups would stay silent about a disturbance there.
Meanwhile, Sawu stepped toward Jeom So-i, who was trembling like a wet mouse.
He took ‘something’ from his bosom and placed it into Jeom So-i’s hand.
“If those guys come again, show them this. They’ll run away with their tails between their legs.”
Jeom So-i’s eyes widened when she saw what the ‘something’ was.
