Chapter 36 Fool (3)

Chapter 36 Fool (3)

* * *

“I did all I could.”

Clink.

The woman, who had poured the strong liquor straight into her mouth, muttered with half-glazed eyes.

“I did everything I could for that bastard who ran off after screwing things up. I took care of him all by myself until he was almost twenty.”

“……”

At her words, Gu Yangjie silently nodded to himself.

A man of Zhonghua, at twelve, should naturally show bravery; at fifteen, he should be ready to charge into battle.

What more at twenty?

At that age, he could easily become a commander of a thousand soldiers.

Having actually seen such men, he could understand the woman’s words.

But this story was different.

Gu Yangji opened his mouth, voicing the raw truth.

“He’s not like ordinary people. Not by a long shot.”

Watching the woman burst into tears, Gu Yangji maintained an impassive expression.

Conversation, he knew, was about subtly matching the other’s mood.

If they smiled, you felt joy.

If they were sad, he grew somber.

If they vented anger toward someone, he shared their rage.

Gu Yangjie hoped the woman would find her answer through him.

Either coldly find her own path, or cling to the man.

‘The beggar said it wasn’t far away…’

Deep down, the woman knew she couldn’t just leave the man behind.

That’s why she never left Shaanxi, merely drifting nearby while cutting off all contact.

That leaves only a lukewarm outcome.

Just like herself when she descended from the volcano.

Gu Yangji held a bitter smile.

“I didn’t come seeking you to punish you. I merely wish to see the outcome, whatever it may be.“

”Either way?“

”Yes.“

At his words, the woman stopped crying and stared intently at Gu Yangji.

Then she let out a drunken, drunkenly drunken chuckle.

”You’re a kind soul. To step in like this, even though it’s someone else’s affair.“

”……Kind?”

Repeating the woman’s words, Gu Yang-jeok chuckled softly.

He was merely trying to clear away a lingering concern—how could that be called kind?

“I don’t think that’s quite right.”

“I’ve decided.”

The sudden declaration made Gu Yang-jeok gasp in surprise.

“Already?”

“Yes, the answer was already decided.” “

Her face flushed crimson with intoxication as she declared it with resolve.

”Because I am that child’s mother.“

”…….“

After a moment’s hesitation, Gu Yangjie answered briefly.

”I will help.”

If they could raid the Shaanxi branch’s vault a little before the Huashan Sect arrived, they’d have enough travel money for the two of them.

Around the time Gu Yangjie was chatting with the woman like that

Squeak.

The man, accustomed to calling himself a fool, opened the door and stepped out onto the street.

* * *

The man who ventured out onto the street without the middle-aged man’s permission was pierced by many emotions.

“Look, look, he’s back again.”

“Because of you, even places that used to work don’t anymore!”

Disgust, annoyance, pity, irritation.

These emotions were rooted deep within the man’s chest, gradually rotting black.

“You worthless brat who can’t even earn your keep!”

Especially when the nearest street vendor threw a wooden skewer, the man let out a yelp and twisted his body this way and that.

But evasion was impossible.

Because this place wasn’t the dream he’d imagined.

Here, there were no parents, no food to warm his insides.

Thinking of that made him sad all over again.

“Waaah!”

When the lanky man burst into tears, the dignified merchant clicked his tongue, and most hurled curses.

A few even tried to push him down directly.

“Tsk, there he goes again.”

Even the patrol soldiers passing through the market knew this. But they never intervened.

Even if they did, they’d only get the merchants’ complaints, and the man never offered any compensation.

Occasionally, a middle-aged man raising cattle on the outskirts of the city would come and bow his head, but that happened only once or twice.

‘If you just gave him some meat, he’d be fine.’

The guard swallowed hard, remembering the beef that middle-aged man had given him once.

Then he walked past the market street and headed elsewhere.

And so, even the only person who would protect the man left the market.

“Hey, you son of a bitch!”

Thud!

Despite the merchant’s kick, the man stubbornly got back up.

Even though his skin was scraped raw by the sand, bleeding, the man didn’t cry.

Somehow, the inn with that familiar smell wasn’t far away.

“Make way! I’m a fool!”

“What’s he babbling about, this guy?”

Seeing the man seeming to invite the beating, doubt blossomed on the face of the Black Dragon Sect warrior, Yue Gongming.

‘He’s not running away…?’

Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t have set foot in a market like this in the first place.

He’d get beaten twice as badly as he would in the alleys.

No matter how dim-witted a man might be, the violence ingrained in his body was learned.

Moreover, as a native born and raised in Chang’an, Yue Gongming knew this fact all too well.

With all the Black Dragon Sect members busy tracking Gu Yangji’s whereabouts right now.

A flicker of hope crossed Yue Gongming’s face.

‘Should I find out a little more?’

Yue Gongming immediately deployed his martial arts, blocking the space between the man and the merchant.

“Step aside, won’t you?”

“Who the hell are you?!”

“If you don’t like it, die.”

At those words, the merchant sensed the killing intent and stepped back. Seeing the characters ‘Black Dragon Sect’ embroidered on Yue Gongming’s collar, he knelt.

“I apologize for my rudeness, Great Hero!”

Yue Gongming’s lips twisted in displeasure.

“Then you shouldn’t have been rude.”

Swoosh!

Yue Gongming swung his sword instantly, severing the merchant’s neck.

Blood spattered in an instant.

Even drenched in blood, the man trembled violently but did not cower.

Instead, he seemed to gather resolve, as if there was something he must do before dying.

“Step aside… please.”

The merchants trembled in terror at the man’s words.

It seemed as if that fool’s head would fly off any second.

But Yue Gongming crossed his arms and laughed.

“You, the biggest fool here, claiming to be the bravest? How utterly ridiculous. Go ahead, do as you wish.”

“T-thank you.”

Stutterer, fool, idiot.

Having heard these words countless times, the man clenched his lips. He knew well what they meant.

‘I am a fool.’

The man knew he was lacking compared to others.

That was why he had to tell his departed mother.

Thank you.

And he had to make a sorry request.

Please don’t leave.

The man’s wet gaze fell to the floor.

While being beaten, the cord binding his sandal had come loose.

“Ah, no.”

The man hurriedly bent down and began tying the sandal cord.

At the awkward, seemingly clumsy sight, Wol Gong-myeong revealed his vicious nature without restraint.

“I told you to hurry up and go! Didn’t I even change your path for you?!”

“No, I can’t. I’m a fool. Without my boots, I’ll get hurt.”

Sparks flew from Wolgongmyeong’s eyes.

“Then should I tie them for you?!”

“That’s not possible either.”

“……?”

The man placed the exact answer he’d been taught upon his lips.

“Mother said I mustn’t let strangers touch Seolpi.”

Grit!

Wolgongmyeong forced himself to restrain the urge to kill him right then and there, and asked.

“Why?”

“She said you’d cut Seolpi’s reins or grease the ground to make her hurt. I’m stupid, so I have to listen to Mother.”

“Are you mocking me?!”

A situation ready to explode at any moment.

Even though a single word could cost him his head, the man obeyed the words of the only family member who had stayed for him.

“I’m a fool. Please don’t torment me!”

“You worthless… piece of trash!”

As Wolgongmyeong raised his sword high, the man looked up with sorrowful eyes toward the inn thirty paces away.

There was a familiar scent over there.

There was someone over there whose very scent alone could make him cry.

‘I’m sorry, Mom.’

The man closed his eyes for the last time.

Clatter!

In an instant, Gu Yangji pushed his chair back and stood up.

An indescribable sense of unease had enveloped his entire body.

“Why? Is something wrong?”

Seeing the woman look slightly flustered, Gu Yangji scratched the back of his head and tried to sit back down.

“No, nothing…”

But just then, the beggar’s telepathic voice reached him, forcing Gu Yangji to change what he was about to say.

“If only it hadn’t been…”

Gu Yangji clutched his sword and dashed outside.

Soon, the beggar’s telepathic voice reached him again.

-No matter how angry you are, you must not betray the greater cause!

“Greater cause?”

Gu Yangjie gradually sensed the market street and the smell of blood drawing nearer.

“Isn’t the action I’m about to take precisely the greater cause the righteous faction stands for?”

-……

Plop, plop.

A downpour began falling from the thickened clouds.

A single raindrop struck Gu Yangjie’s cheek and trickled down.

* * *

Meanwhile, Yue Gongming sensed the martial artist’s presence drawing nearer and let out a sneering laugh.

“You worthless beggar bastard! You’re finally useful when you’re about to die!”

Of course, he didn’t think it was Gu Yangjie himself.

Someone connected to the Huashan Sect, or perhaps a Taoist.

Either way, he could only think they were idiots.

‘This is fifty zhang from the Shaanxi branch. If I just hold out a little longer, reinforcements will arrive.’

As long as the fight wasn’t settled in one exchange, Yue Gongming had his own means to alert the Shaanxi branch of the danger.

He just needed to confirm who it was, or which martial arts faction they belonged to.

As the figure of the martial artist gradually became clearer, Yue Gongming’s smile deepened.

Just then, a stone flew out of nowhere and struck Yue Gongming’s knee with a sharp thud.

“Gah!”

“How dare you call me a beggar, you bastard, right in front of the Sect Leader of the Open Sect?”

Clack, thud.

The beggar, Cheolpunggae (綴風丐), rolled the stone in his hand, revealing three distinct knots.

“One insolent brat is enough! Especially a greenhorn like you—it makes my blood boil!”

“Guh, this matter…”

“This matter what?”

Cheolpunggae shrugged his shoulders and took a step back.

In an instant, Gu Yangjeok’s figure had surged right up to Wol Gongmyeong’s front.

‘Damn!’

Too late, Wol Gongmyeong attempted to unleash the Black Dragon Sword Technique to strike Gu Yangjeok first, but the situation was already too late.

Squeak!

“Gaaaah!”

Unspeakable agony made Yue Gongming’s mouth snap open wide.

He intended to scream, to alert the Black Dragon Sect members nearby to the danger.

But.

“That mouth.”

Gu Yangjie didn’t miss the opening.

Knowing exactly what Yue Gongming was aiming for, the sword tip grew even sharper.

Cut the tongue.

The sword flashed through the inside of Yue Gongming’s mouth in an instant.

Puuuwaaah!

Blood gushed from his entire mouth, now a bloody mess from the sword’s impact.

Even so, Gu Yangjie’s eyes remained utterly cold.

The marks of beatings on the man’s body.

‘He wouldn’t have wasted his fists on someone he could cut down with a single blade.’

Even if he had struck, he wouldn’t have shown mercy, so this wouldn’t end here.

The moment he made his judgment, Gu Yangji looked at Cheolpunggae and requested.

“Identify everyone who harmed this man.”

“And then what?”

Gu Yangji scanned the merchants once.

“Reward the good and punish the evil.”

Cheolpunggae nodded.

“Right.”

“Ah, one more thing.”

“……?”

Gu Yangjeok looked back and forth between Wol Gongmyeong and the man.

“I trust you understand.”

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.

Recalling the memory from the time of Dujeolgwang, Cheolpunggae readily nodded.

” Beggars live off the scraps they beg for.”

With that firm answer, Gu Yangjie turned his gaze toward the distant Heulryongbang Shaanxi branch.

A warrior pushed through the rain-soaked streets, heading toward the darkest corner of Chang’an.