Why does trouble always break out whenever I come to an inn?
I adjusted my wide-brimmed hat and walked toward the corner of the inn where the commotion was happening. The customers who had been watching the scene at the inn parted like the Red Sea and made way for me as I approached.
Must be convenient to be this tall sometimes.
Anyway, without anyone stopping me, I instantly arrived at the scene of the incident.
“Joo-seong-yeon! You! Do you really want to start a war or something?”
“You’re the problem for daring to insult Master of our family!”
Geez, these guys with no remarkable skills only know how to talk big. I sighed while looking back and forth between Mr. Gang Something with his shoulder trembling and Mr. Gu Something raging with a bloodied sword.
Practice more instead of showing off your swordsmanship.
Do martial sects not teach their disciples to eat quietly at an inn? Seeing this unruliness from the birthplace of Confucianism makes me appreciate how great Joseon was in being known as the ‘Land of Eastern礼仪’.
“What is the relationship between those two to cause such a sword fight?”
“Ho, a colored-eyed person speaks the language of the Central Plains?”
The man I spoke to flinched in surprise and looked up at me, causing others to also turn their gaze toward me.
With this much attention, shouldn’t I be charging an admission fee? I’m not a superstar, yet people keep staring at me every time.
“Whether you call me colored-eyed or whatever, just answer the question.”
“That… those two are heirs of the Gang Family Sect and Gu Family Sect, the most powerful sects in this city. They show hostility as their families are in competition.”
“Tch.”
I see. Some unheard-of sects are running rampant in this small city. Well, with nothing better to do, they cause trouble by wielding swords at this crowded place.
“Form, don’t get involved. They have the power of kings here. If you cause trouble, you might end up bleeding.”
“I appreciate the concern, but worry unnecessarily. Just watch.”
I confidently approached the two young masters who noticed my presence. When they saw me, they were about to shout but, probably scared by my imposing manner, spoke more politely.
“Wh-who are you?”
“You shouldn’t get involved in our matters!”
The two young masters, now shrinking like tail-wagging puppies, had bodyguards step in front of them. Though only close to first-class level, these bodyguards from the small city where these two lord it over were no more than underlings.
I slightly pushed up my wide-brimmed hat with my finger and asked the educational targets of the day a basic question.
“What is an inn for?”
“W-what kind of question…”
“Answer.”
“F-for eating.”
“Is swordplay allowed in an inn?”
“H-however, this person started it first!”
“Looking at you, you seem old enough to eat by yourself, yet you still blame others? Once you’ve grown up, you should follow basic rules.”
Phew. What a hassle these brats cause. All they had to do was eat quietly. Is it that hard? Is this inn a martial arena?
Are you just practicing chair shots?
And I’m sure you’re not going to pay for the broken dishes or furniture, right?
“To you, the one with the sword wound.”
“I-I have a name, Gang Seok-ho…”
“I don’t care about your name. You should get treated first. And pay for the table and chairs you broke.”
“They weren’t broken by me!”
“I didn’t say they were all yours to pay for. That guy should pay half.”
“Why should I listen to you? I am Mr. Gu…”
“Do you think your families built their sects so you could act like this?”
If you belong to a well-known family, your conduct should match your status.
Upon hearing my words, Mr. Gu Something opened his mouth in anger but, upon being whispered to by the sharp-eyed bodyguard beside him, lowered his eyes and put his sword back in its sheath.
“Very well.”
“Also, you bodyguards, take your young masters back and recount what happened here. As heirs of a sect, shouldn’t they conduct themselves properly?”
At my words, a middle-aged warrior who seemed to be from the Gu Family bowed and asked.
“Understood. May I inquire your honorable name, sir?”
“William. In Jianghu, they call me Lion Sword Hero.”
“Lion Sword Hero!”
“Isn’t this guy the champion of the recent Blue Dragon Martial Contest!”
“Really? I haven’t heard of this name before…”
“Excuse me, good sir! How can you be so uninformed and still navigate this treacherous world? This person is an exceptionally skilled swordsmen with colored eyes!”
“Never expected to meet such a figure here!”
The crowd is getting noisy. Anyway, since the matter is settled, I can go back now. Turning my back without any attachment, I returned to my seat.
As I returned to my seat, Hyeryoung looked at me with a worried expression and spoke.
“Mister, was the situation resolved?”
“It was just an intense spat. Don’t mind it. Let’s eat.”
Although the food was a bit cold due to those guys, it wouldn’t be right to ask for compensation for that. I chewed on the slightly soggy dumpling and enjoyed my meal again.
Just as I was about to resume this pleasant dining time, I was greeted by what appeared to be the innkeeper.
“Great Hero Wi, thank you for settling the disturbance. Thanks to you, it didn’t escalate into something bigger.”
“I just did what needed to be done, don’t mention it.”
“No, sir. The townsfolk, being intimidated by the power of these two families, could only grit their teeth in silence as their young lords caused disturbances. That you’ve cleanly resolved it like this… we are truly indebted.”
After looking at how exhausted the innkeeper looked, I understood the extent of their troubles. Upon giving a hint that I could hear more, the innkeeper began spilling out his grievances.
“To put it bluntly, the power struggle between these two families has been causing disturbances, upturning the shop numerous times!
And they throw coins as ‘apologies’ while treating them like dirt! As the years passed, there were even incidents where visitors were injured due to their swordplay! I was seriously considering leaving this place.
And lately, with the ongoing conflicts between the two families…”
“You’ve gone through quite a lot.”
“That’s right! This is the first time someone so effectively silenced them! Thank you so much. Hero, your meal is on the house.”
“Is that really necessary…”
I politely tried to decline while looking at the innkeeper. Sensing this, the innkeeper did not insist but offered again.
“No, I need to do this to feel better.”
“In that case…”
Free meals are always good. Meals always taste best when they’re free.
“And we will bring out more dishes! Wang Chil! Serve the honored guest!”
“Understood!”
Free food and additional dishes? Sounds good to me.
“Then I’ll excuse myself to clean up. Enjoy your meal.”
“Thank you for your hard work.”
Turning my gaze away from the departing innkeeper, I looked at Mokkyeong and Hyeryoung. The two of them, who had been silently observing my conversation with the innkeeper, now spoke after we were left alone at the table.
“Uncle really looked like a chivalrous knight!”
“Eungong, you truly are Eungong.”
“It was just a word or two because I felt annoyed.”
“But Uncle, you scolded those people when everyone else was too scared to do so! I think that’s a fine trait of a true chivalrous knight!”
What’s with this excessive praise?
Ignoring their comments, I sipped the lukewarm soup.
It’s not long after we resumed our meal that the now-finished Hyeryoung opened her small lips to speak.
“Uncle, right? They won’t come back to cause trouble later, will they?”
“As long as we’re involved, they shouldn’t dare cause any harm. Besides, we’re certainly not the kind of people who’d easily yield to them.”
The ones lordling over this place, too ambiguous to truly call it a city or a village, won’t be stronger than me.
If there was someone stronger than me here, their reputation would surely be widespread. The strongest these people can probably match is Mokkyeong’s level.
“Let’s stay at this inn today and leave tomorrow morning.”
“Yes-s!”
“Understood.”
“…Ah, before that, we should visit the market once.”
“The market?”
“We need to buy some food before we leave.”
Given how vast the Central Plains are, we don’t know when we’ll reach the next town, so we should stock up on supplies.
And…
“Mokgyeong, haven’t you tried sweet snacks yet?”
“Y-yes…”
“I’ll show you what sweetness means.”
Smiling, I smelled the newly arriving dishes placed on the table.
