Chapter 272: Jaseung, Becos a Big Brother
Sixteen, seventeen, eighteen.
Thwack!
Today, he held out until the eighteenth move.
Yim Sayeon was intentionally maintaining a constant intensity in her martial arts.
She was observing how quickly Lee Jaseung was adapting.
Thwack! Thud! Thwack!
Lee Jaseung rolled across the ground and tried to dodge here and there, but once he allowed a single blow, he could not avoid Yim Sayeon's subsequent attacks.
If the first strike was allowed, it was safe to assu the line of defense had completely collapsed.
Yim Sayeon only stopped her attack after beating Lee Jaseung to her heart's content.
“From tomorrow, use only your right hand.”
“Okay.”
The hand he had grown accustod to was his left.
Indeed, even Lee Jaseung was curious about what the result would be when he switched that hand to his right.
Yim Sayeon, who was entering her room, asked.
“Are you going to the village by any chance?”
“Yes.”
“Then when you return, buy plenty of the Four Treasures of the Study.”
“I will do that.”
It seed she had sothing to write.
Thinking it might be a possibility that Yim Sayeon intended to leave behind her realizations, he thought he should buy plenty as she said.
After leaving the house, Lee Jaseung climbed the mountain.
Morning sparring was good, and new connections were good, but the best thing about coming here was climbing the mountain.
Now, whenever he reached the summit, his heart felt strangely wide open.
Lately, he also slept a lot.
The usual Lee Jaseung slept for an average of four hours, but lately, he fell asleep as soon as it beca midnight and slept soundly for over eight hours.
Sleeping a lot did not necessarily an the body's fatigue was relieved better.
For Lee Jaseung right now, sleep was a matter of the spirit and played the role of loosening his rigid heart.
Looking at the birds flying far away, Lee Jaseung smiled pleasantly.
* * *
Dan Woobin decided on a new na for the alliance, the Righteous Alliance, aning an alliance that protects Orthodox chivalry.
Of course, he would have to receive Lee Jaseung's final approval, but seeing Lee Jaseung thus far, there was no way this proposal would be rejected.
He would value the content more than the na.
The one filling Lee Jaseung's spot was Dan Woobin.
Mujin and the Divine Sword Regint were protecting him closely, and Mook Young's Iron Cavalry Regint operated externally and assisted with Dan Woobin's work.
Dan Woobin introduced a new thod while rging the organizations of the Black Way Alliance and the Murim Alliance.
He reorganized the vertical hierarchy consisting of Pavilions, Halls, Sects, and Units, and organized all remaining organizations into Units, except for the Leader's Hall and the Guard Hall.
The Divine Sword Regint and the Iron Cavalry Regint were also organized as Units.
Of course, their scale was too large to be put under the na of a Unit, but the thod of unifying them into Units was more effective than having the organizations of the Murim Alliance and the Black Way Alliance engage in a war of nerves and split apart.
Of course, he did not simply unify them.
He divided each Unit into three categories: Heaven, Earth, and Man.
In other words, he divided them into upper, middle, and lower ranks and made them compete.
Dan Woobin thought the most effective way to run an organization was the spirit of competition.
By being divided into Heaven, Earth, and Man, each Unit would naturally have a ranking.
What rank in the Heaven Unit, what rank in the Earth Unit, and so on.
Everyone knew it would turn out that way, but Dan Woobin pretended not to know and only stated that it was organized that way to prevent overheating.
Dan Woobin handled as much work as possible independently out of consideration for the pregnant Baek Seolyoung, but the report that just ca in was sothing that required her approval.
“It seems a certain organization is being ford.”
Baek Seolyoung asked back in surprise at Dan Woobin's report.
“An organization?”
“It appears to be a force digging into the gap left by the collapse of the Demonic Cult. They intend to strengthen their power while the Central Plains are in chaos. In the current situation, private organizations must absolutely not be allowed. Especially if they are those seeking private gain.”
“You are right. Find the mastermind and capture them all.”
“Understood. I will dispatch Captain Ma imdiately.”
“Try to capture them alive as much as possible. It is important to rule with the principle of 'punishing one to warn a hundred', but the Righteous Alliance must not give the impression of suppressing people of the Jianghu with force.”
“I will keep that in mind.”
When Dan Woobin left, Baek Seolyoung walked to the window.
Her stomach was now slightly protruding, showing signs of her pregnancy.
“What are you doing, my dear?”
* * *
“Beggar Brother, you got beaten up again today huh.”
Cho Somi was already at the woodworking shop.
“Do you not go to a martial arts hall or a school?”
It was a word he threw out thoughtlessly, but Cho Somi's expression darkened slightly.
Gao Ying, who was behind them, also felt a startle in her presence.
Sothing was there.
However, all three did not show any sign of it.
Cho Somi, who forcibly changed her expression, said mockingly.
“Who goes to a martial arts hall or a school these days like it's old-fashioned? They just study at ho or get a personal master.”
“Is that so?”
“It is different from your ti, Mister.”
“Not Mister, call Big Brother.”
“I don't want to! Beggar Mister!”
Cho Somi hurried out of the woodworking shop.
Lee Jaseung could tell she felt bad because of the story from a mont ago and was leaving early for that reason.
Lee Jaseung approached Gao Ying.
“What should I do today?”
Then Gao Ying held out the sandpaper with an expression that said 'this, of course'.
Lee Jaseung, who received the sandpaper, sat down in front of the wooden swords piled on one side.
He began to sand them carefully, one by one.
How many had he done?
Gao Ying approached and examined the wooden swords Lee Jaseung had sanded.
Soon he wore a surprised expression.
He had not examined what Lee Jaseung had done yesterday.
He had just thought he would have done it that way, but seeing it in person, the work was done very neatly.
“Have you ever done this before?”
“No. This is the first ti.”
Then Gao Ying was even more surprised.
“You have good manual skill.”
“Thank you.”
It was a natural thing.
If one becos a master at sothing, their level of understanding of other fields is bound to increase.
He was Lee Jaseung, who had reached the ultimate stage in martial arts.
Furthermore, it was not furniture but the task of sanding wooden swords, so how could it not catch Gao Ying's eye?
Gao Ying spoke as he returned to his spot.
“You have talent, so learn diligently.”
“Understood.”
There are things one can tell just by looking at a single piece of sanding.
Talent that seed like it would 'surpass the master' if taught properly.
Gao Ying coveted Lee Jaseung.
But he felt that Lee Jaseung was not a person who would stay here for long.
Bang bang bang. Scritch scratch.
Once again, only the sounds of hamring and sanding resonated in that place.
That evening, as he was leaving after work, Cho Somi was waiting in front of the woodworking shop.
“I am hungry, buy food…… Mister.”
How much could an eleven-year-old child hide her expression?
She clearly had an expression of having sothing to say to him.
“How could a beggar have money.”
When he threw that remark, Cho Somi pouted her lips and turned away.
Lee Jaseung said to her as she walked weakly.
“Let us go. I was just getting hungry myself.”
The two entered a nearby inn.
As they sat in a window seat, the proprietor approached.
The gaze toward Cho Somi was not ordinary.
“You've co?”
Cho Somi was looking outside, pretending not to hear the greeting.
Lee Jaseung asked.
“What do you want to eat?”
“Just anything.”
Lee Jaseung asked the proprietor.
“What good things do you have?”
“Plenty. The more special it is, the more expensive it is.”
An attitude revealed itself: 'Could you lot even afford to buy and eat it even if there are many?'.
“Give us that special thing.”
“As I said, it is expensive so……”
Thud.
Lee Jaseung placed three silver taels on the table.
Since three silver taels for a single al was a huge amount of money, the proprietor's eyes went wide.
The proprietor instinctively reached out for the silver, but Lee Jaseung put it back in his robe, saying 'Where do you think you're reaching!'.
“Prepare it deliciously. And adjust the spiciness to suit the child's taste.”
“Haha, leave it to .”
The proprietor trotted to the kitchen.
Cho Somi said with her eyes wide open.
“Mister, you have a lot of money huh.”
“I told you I'm not a beggar. And I told you to call Big Brother!”
“If I call you Big Brother now, does it not feel like I'm doing it because of the money?”
He thought the young girl spoke quite like an adult.
Cho Somi looked at Lee Jaseung and said.
“I sohow knew it would be like this.”
“What?”
“I see sothing special in you, Mister.”
Lee Jaseung gave a short laugh.
The one who looks ‘special’ is you. Though it's worrying because it feels like a dark story.
A short while later, the dishes ca out one by one.
The spicy ones were prepared less spicy to suit the child's taste.
If one had to evaluate the taste of the food, it was neither very good nor bad.
Still, since he was eating a proper al for the first ti in a long while, he felt sorry for Yim Sayeon, who would be alone.
Lately, she was a person who was holed up in a back room because of him, researching sothing.
He thought he should buy a dish she would like and take it with him when he returned.
“It's a waste, so don't leave anything!”
Cho Somi worked her chopsticks diligently.
Lee Jaseung also had a full dinner for the first ti in a while.
Thus, they emptied all the bowls.
They even finished the tea and fruit served as dessert.
Seeing the child eat deliciously made Lee Jaseung feel good too.
They left the inn while patting their stomachs.
Throughout the al, Cho Somi hesitated whether to say sothing or not.
Lee Jaseung did not bother to ask what it was.
“Are you full now?”
“I am about to burst. I ate well…… Big Brother.”
Lee Jaseung smiled at the word 'Big Brother'.
Co to think of it, had he ever heard the word 'Big Brother' before?
At least he had not heard it from Baek Seolyoung.
“Where are you going?”
“There is sothing I have to buy.”
Lee Jaseung stopped by a store nearby called the Four Treasures Hall and bought paper, brushes, inkstones, and ink there.
He bought plenty of paper.
As he ca out after buying what Yim Sayeon had asked for, Cho Somi watched it quietly and then spoke abruptly.
“Hey, please teach martial arts.”
Lee Jaseung could tell. Cho Somi had asked to et him in order to say those words.
“Mister, you're learning martial arts even if you get beaten up every ti, right?”
“That is right.”
“Can you not teach that to too?”
“Martial arts should be learned at a martial arts hall.”
“…….”
Cho Somi's expression darkened even further.
Lee Jaseung asked calmly.
“Why do you want to learn martial arts?”
“Just because.”
The answer Cho Somi thought of after a pause.
“It makes you healthy.”
There was no way Lee Jaseung would not know that was naturally not the reason.
Lee Jaseung, who looked at Cho Somi for a mont, said.
“Fine. I will teach you martial arts.”
Thinking he had granted permission more readily than expected, Cho Somi was surprised and snapped her head up.
Soon, the child's face filled with joy.
“However, you must know this. I cannot teach you for a long ti. I will only teach you until I leave.”
“When are you leaving?”
“I don't know either.”
A sense of regret appeared on her face for a mont, but soon Cho Somi said.
“I understand. Thank you.”
Cho Somi stood up abruptly and bowed to Lee Jaseung.
“To the Master……”
Lee Jaseung quickly stood her up and said.
“Not Master, Big Brother! Do you understand?”
“Yes! Big Brother!”
Looking at the child's joyful face, Lee Jaseung had a premonition.
That he would soon find out what kind of darkness was cast over the child's face.
He simply entrusted himself to the natural flow of destiny.
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