Chapter 28: Chapter 28

Chapter 28: Damaged Goods

The blindfold came off.

High pavilions each thrust their pointed roofs into the autumn sky.

The refreshed view lasted only briefly.

The warriors pushed us into a dimly lit warehouse.

Immediately examining the interior through Eight Sensations.

A prison converted from a warehouse. Rooms with iron bars lined continuously along the walls.

"Please let us out..."

"What are you going to do to us..."

People were packed tightly.

Following me, Kwak Daebang adapted his eyes and muttered quietly.

"This is ridiculous..."

Whoosh—his body swelled with anger.

"Brother Kwak, not yet. Let's explode in a bit."

Explode—this is the right time, right?

Kwak Daebang also deliberately breathed in at my words and calmed his martial aura.

Because it was momentary, the warriors didn't notice either.

They were busy lighting torches inside the warehouse.

Among the physicians, Jang Huigun briefly sighed.

"Doesn't seem they fed them well either. Everyone's quite weakened."

He looked around at the people and pointed to one person lying on the floor.

"Look here, warriors. That person clearly shows signs of illness. We're physicians—may we treat them?"

Even in this situation, the eye discovering patients was indeed physician-like.

However, the warriors shook their heads.

"Ask when the Captain comes. It's not our jurisdiction."

People to be sold, yet not even fed.

Probably treatment to make them easier to handle—in the process, one or two dying seemed not to matter.

At that moment, a shrill voice came from the warehouse door we'd entered.

"Oh, you came? Arrived?"

"The Captain has come."

The warriors all closed their mouths and took stiff postures.

I looked at the one entering.

'That's Jeong Yangtak.'

Narrow brow, narrow chin, an atmosphere like a stray dog—yet he's a trading captain?

'Then that's Cloud Shadow.'

A tall and unexpectedly neat-looking bladesman followed in.

Swift Wind had informed that Jeong Yangtak had one bodyguard warrior.

"Captain, this physician here asks to let him treat that person."

Jeong Yangtak only glanced at the patient the warrior pointed to.

"Use medicine? At a glance, too damaged? Right?"

"Seems he originally had illness."

"Anyway, those Black Cloud Gang bastards. Doing work like that."

Jeong Yangtak clicked his tongue.

"Forget it. Medicine costs will be more. Though it's regrettable since we brought in goods with difficulty, if damaged must discard. Can't spend more money needlessly."

Jeong Yangtak called the lying person "goods."

He and Cloud Shadow approached our side.

Even setting aside others, we must hide our presence well against Cloud Shadow.

Breath left both of us.

Energy was stored inside, the unique gaze of those who learned martial arts faded.

Energy also sank from full-body muscles, leaving only the feeling of just a large body.

"Good goods! Mm, good goods! Hey, make sure to feed these properly!"

The stray dog-like person bustled about happily.

Right, not eyes that see people.

"Did you earn a lot of money treating people as goods?"

Jeong Yangtak jumped up in surprise.

Since goods suddenly spoke to him, he'd be surprised. Only then did Jeong Yangtak seem to realize we were people.

"Oh my, what a shock. Did you earn a lot of money?"

"That's right. Since I'll be sold, I'm very curious. Does doing this much earn a lot of money?"

Jeong Yangtak smiled.

"How curious. Though I've heard much 'don't sell me, save me.' But asking if I earn much by selling you?"

I had no particular intent, but Jeong Yangtak seemed interested. Unexpectedly, he responded to my question.

"I earn a lot. If used well, people are goods with quite good profit margins."

"Physician sir. Think about it. Since the physician sir is young, you can treat quite many patients going forward, right?"

"But if I take all the treatment fees?"

Jeong Yangtak excitedly chattered on.

The pleasure of speaking one's thoughts within the superiority of being strong. He was savoring that feeling.

"That's what 'using well' means. Making other people do much work and I take the product. And suppressing their persons is precisely the method to take all of others' products, isn't it?"

"If focusing only on taking products, so it would be."

Jeong Yangtak burst into shrill laughter.

"How many people focus only on that? Otherwise, could I do business with this work? Hm?"

Then he extended his index finger tapping my forehead—tap tap.

Next pointed to himself.

And extended his finger toward somewhere beyond.

"Person who will use goods."

Finally, wag wag—shook his index finger before my eyes.

"This is how I distinguish people. Heehee, does physician sir's world distinguish physician, healthy person, sick person? But such physician sir has now become goods?"

Everyone's eyes seeing people differ.

However, aren't those eyes created from the life one has lived?

What kind of life distinguishes people as goods and users?

"What if you don't distinguish?"

"Just see as people."

"What's 'just people'?"

"People same as me. Just seeing it that way seems like you wouldn't cross lines."

If you feel they're people who breathe and share affection with family like me, wouldn't you be unable to think of capturing and selling them?

Briefly thinking, he tilted his head.

"No? I'd probably still buy and sell?"

He and I are the same person yet completely different people.

Jeong Yangtak shook his index finger again.

"Now, physician sir. Be quiet now. I don't particularly like goods chattering originally. Right now I just responded because it was curious."

"I'd never thought about it, but thanks to the Captain, I'm thinking. I too recalled one way to distinguish people. Whether someone can't act carelessly if considering them the same person as me, or acts carelessly anyway."

His words were the last—I pulled up a martial aura that had been submerged.

I quickly extended then withdrew my hand.

The place where Jeong Yangtak's index finger had been was empty.

He briefly didn't understand what happened.

He grasped where the finger had been with his other hand and screamed.

This moment was the start.

I shouted loudly enough to cover Jeong Yangtak's scream.

"White Path came here!"

Cloud Shadow was startled and wedged between Jeong Yangtak and me.

"A martial artist is mixed in!"

I released a palm strike before he could take a stance. Unavoidably meeting the palm, he was pushed back colliding with Jeong Yangtak and tumbled.

Beside, Kwak Daebang's throat bobbed—gulp—then blew a long whistle filled with inner power.

Signal to the rear guard.

Since the warehouse door was open, it would be heard outside too.

Warriors except Cloud Shadow were flustered not knowing what to do.

"I am Ink Sword Hero Jin Yeomyeong! Is there one who will step before me!"

I tore off the disguise.

Removed cotton in cheeks, took off fake beard, erased the mark too.

"It's Jin Yeomyeong! I've seen him!"

"Then is the Alliance coming?"

While flustered warriors' hands and feet were confused. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ NoveI-Fire.ɴet

Kwak Daebang with heavy build charged in and knocked down one with a single punch.

"Here's also Flying Black Bear Kwak Daebang of the Murim Alliance's Outer Hall!"

Demonstrating martial prowess while deliberately mentioning the Murim Alliance.

"Caught by the Alliance means the end! Flee!"

"They give stingy wages anyway—don't think of risking lives, flee!"

The warriors' loyalty went that far.

In all this, they'd been giving stingy wages?

"Brother Kwak, I ask for the physicians and other people."

Kwak Daebang slowly pulled the physicians back.

Cloud Shadow who'd risen before I knew aimed his thin, long blade at me.

Behind him, Jeong Yangtak looked at me with trembling eyes.

"Black Path extermination."

Jeong Yangtak answered bewilderedly.

What's special about Black Path?

The word Black Path doesn't mean occupation.

Why is the road black?

Because they hide and cover since not upright.

Hiding and covering, it naturally darkens.

Those walking such roads are Black Path—whether trading captains, jianghu people, whatever occupation.

Jeong Yangtak is Black Path.

"Please kill that bastard! Please kill him!"

"My brother died inside here! Please avenge him!"

"Please! Ink Sword Hero!"

Voices bursting from prisons on all sides.

Voices filled with resentment proved he was Black Path.

Jeong Yangtak looked around sweating coldly.

"Cloud Shadow, I trust only you. Without you, we can't leave here."

"Don't worry. I wanted to compete with the Ink Sword Hero anyway."

Cloud Shadow who recovered momentum looked at me.

The situation worsened, yet fighting spirit seemed to rise instead.

Kwak Daebang handed over one sword.

It was the fallen warrior's sword from earlier.

Holding that sword, I faced Cloud Shadow.

Whether Jeong Yangtak's momentum also rose from Cloud Shadow's boasting, he made shrill sounds from behind.

"Right, Cloud Shadow, you said you could win! That bastard took my finger. Strike off his neck!"

Did he say such words?

Looking at Cloud Shadow, he thrust the thin, long blade before me.

"Ink Sword Hero, your reputation is usually renowned. I wanted to compete once."

"Cloud Shadow, never heard of you. Didn't want to compete either."

At my sincere words, Cloud Shadow's eyebrows twitched.

"I'm Captain Jeong's bodyguard warrior so just wasn't revealed to the world."

Is that so? In that respect, was I disagreeable to him?

Because he's in a position unable to gain fame while I gradually stand out?

"If you defeat me today, fame will rise at once."

"That's precisely what I want!"

Cloud Shadow's elongated blade extended forward.

A blade strike as fast as the confidence overflowing from his eyes.

Compared to the sword I held, his blade was long.

Seizing distance advantage, he executed various techniques with swift blade.

I have the Xun Trigram Technique to offset weapon distance.

With breathing, wind's natural energy circles riding my body.

Body is light, footwork even faster.

Cloud Shadow's eyes widened seeing me penetrate inside the blade's gap in an instant.

Swinging the sword to block the path his blade would exit.

Revealing dismay, he was pushed back.

Not retreat following footwork, but literally being pushed.

Each stepping footstep hasty.

Therefore pushed even more.

Before we knew it, we had Jeong Yangtak beside us.

Not missing the surprise forming in Cloud Shadow's eyes, I provoked.

"Just exchanged a few techniques—is this all?"

Instantly his blade cut in fiercely.

My body moved outside the blade strike.

Also maintaining constant distance.

Beyond dismay, defeat spread in his eyes.

To maintain distance while dodging requires predicting opponent's strikes or quickly moving while following with eyes.

Either way, the skill difference clearly shows.

Instantly his blade stopped.

Jeong Yangtak shouted from beside.

"Cloud Shadow, what's wrong! Keep fighting!"

However, Jeong Yangtak didn't know.

That Cloud Shadow was drawing out full-body inner power.

Preparing a secret ultimate move.

I waited for that one move while raising Eight Sensations to the maximum.

This time focusing on aura sense.

Cloud Shadow's momentum was preparing to burst out soon.

The squirming energy eventually became completely still.

In a direction people completely didn't expect.

A direction only I expected.

Precisely toward Jeong Yangtak.

Only after my sword deflected his blade.

Jeong Yangtak grasped the situation.

Shiiiii—wetting himself was bonus.

He attacked Jeong Yangtak beside him with fully gathered momentum.

Actually, my position was farther from Jeong Yangtak than his.

Since I have Xun Trigram Technique, easy.

But forget such explanations.

With one sword strike, I sent Cloud Shadow's arm flying.