Chwaak—.
At the sudden chill, Old Man Heo's mind snapped back to reality.
“……!”
When he opened his eyes, his whole body was soaking wet.
As if trying to grasp what on earth was happening, Old Man Heo stared blankly downwards for a mont.
‘I was definitely…’
At that mont, Old Man Heo rembered what had happened to him.
The last thing he rembered was Namgung Il's face walking towards him.
As he roughly grasped the situation, Old Man Heo hurriedly tried to get up.
Clank—.
However, Old Man Heo could not get up.
Iron chains were bound not only to both his arms but also to both his legs.
Looking at their thickness, it seed impossible to break them with his own strength.
Clank— Clank—!
Even knowing that, Old Man Heo pulled his arms several tis.
However, only a loud noise echoed, and the iron chains remained fixed in place without the slightest movent.
“……!”
Just then, Old Man Heo's breath caught in his throat at the pain he felt in his chest.
In the end, the taut iron chains loosened again and fell to the floor, and Old Man Heo, kneeling, roughly caught his breath.
“It would be better not to move recklessly yet.”
“……!”
At the familiar voice coming from sowhere, Old Man Heo struggled to raise his head.
As expected, the owner of that voice was Namgung Il.
Namgung Il was standing there, holding an empty water bucket with water on it.
“You bastard…!”
As soon as he saw Namgung Il, Old Man Heo expressed his anger in an agitated voice.
However, that was also brief. He couldn't help but swallow his words at the pain that felt like a spear piercing his chest.
“It seems your ribs are cracked.”
“Keuk…”
“I’ve given you so first aid, but it would be better to go to a doctor later and get proper treatnt.”
Namgung Il said calmly and put the water bucket down on the floor.
Although the pain had not completely subsided, Old Man Heo forced himself to endure it and spoke to Namgung Il.
“What on earth is your sche…”
“……”
“Why have you tied up in a place like this?”
“I just want to have a talk with you, old man.”
At those words, Old Man Heo let out a hollow laugh.
It was painful to laugh, but Old Man Heo did not stop laughing.
“……You want to have a talk with ? With tied up like this?”
“But if I don’t do this, you’ll run away, won’t you?”
“……”
“The person I want to talk to is not you, the Dayti Drunkard, but you, Shintoo.”
As he said, if it weren't for the iron chains binding his limbs, Old Man Heo would have tried to run away right now.
In that regard, he could understand Namgung Il's actions, but that and how Old Man Heo was feeling right now were separate issues.
“I have nothing to say to you.”
“……”
“Anyway, what you have to say to is obvious.”
There could only be one reason why Namgung Il had kept him alive even after knowing his identity.
Shintoo, who had succeeded in stealing nurous treasures of the Central Plains in the past.
Even Shaolin's Small Rejuvenation Pill was only a small part of the treasures Shintoo had stolen.
The treasure vault where those treasures were stored. Old Man Heo was convinced that Namgung Il had kept him alive to ask for its location.
“As you expected, the treasure vault where I’ve collected the treasures I’ve stolen exists sowhere in this world.”
“……”
“However, I will never tell you its location. Even if you threaten to pull out my eyes and tongue, it won’t work on this Shintoo.”
That would be the only revenge he could take on Namgung Il.
Of course, even with this, he couldn't completely release the anger of being caught by Namgung Il, but it was enough to protect the pride of the na Shintoo.
“……”
Namgung Il silently looked at Old Man Heo.
The gaze of a man who had experienced nurous hardships comparable to his own.
He was a man who had stolen countless treasures from renowned sects like Shaolin.
Since it was sothing that could never be done with diocre courage, Namgung Il could tell that those words were not a simple bluff.
“It seems there’s so misunderstanding.”
“……?”
“I have no interest in any treasure vault.”
Old Man Heo naturally did not believe Namgung Il's words.
If one was a martial artist, no, as long as one was a person, greed existed.
Moreover, for so reason, Namgung Il knew about Shintoo in great detail.
Then he would have an idea of what kind of things were hidden in that vault… It was a very obvious trick.
“Are you telling to believe that now?”
“……”
“Ah, I see. Then your purpose from the beginning was my life itself.”
Shintoo had already faded from people's mories, but his fa had not completely disappeared.
Even now, the sects whose treasures had been stolen would be grinding their teeth at Shintoo.
The reason Old Man Heo was living while hiding his identity was all because of that.
“Good thinking. It would be easier to sell off to soone else than to try to open my mouth.”
“……”
“Shaolin, Huashan, the Poison Dragon Cult, the Iron Dragon Faction… all the places that have made a na for themselves in the Central Plains have been hit by .”
Just by handing him over to those places, one could receive a considerable reward.
Of course, that reward would be ager compared to the treasures in the vault, but since he would never tell its location, it was much more comfortable to just think of it as non-existent.
Old Man Heo smiled and said so, then suddenly wiped the smile from his face.
“But what to do?”
“……”
“You won’t be able to receive even that ager reward.”
Before Namgung Il could hand him over to soone else, Old Man Heo was planning to commit suicide.
That was also one of his petty revenges against Namgung Il.
Old Man Heo, with a aningful smile on his lips, said to Namgung Il.
“To think you’d get nothing even after catching Shintoo.”
“……”
“No, you’ll get the honor as a martial artist for catching , whom even the renowned masters of the ti couldn’t catch.”
Old Man Heo seed quite satisfied with his revenge.
Namgung Il silently watched him for a mont.
As Namgung Il was about to get up from his seat, Old Man Heo said firmly.
“Don’t co closer. If you try any funny business, I’ll commit suicide.”
“……”
Namgung Il did not answer and walked in the opposite direction of Old Man Heo.
Is he giving up and leaving this place?
Old Man Heo thought so for a mont, but Namgung Il picked up a bottle from sowhere and ca back to his original spot and sat down.
“Would you like so?”
“……Do you think I’ll drink it?”
“If you don’t want it, then don’t.”
Namgung Il opened the stopper blocking the bottle as if he really didn't care.
And after taking a sip of what was in the bottle, he exclaid with a satisfied face.
“Keu— it’s delicious, as expected.”
“……Wait.”
“What?”
“You… could that be…!”
Old Man Heo's eyes widened as if he had realized sothing.
This fragrance that stimulated the nose even from a distance.
Old Man Heo shouted at Namgung Il in a tone close to conviction.
“Is that Luhuanju!”
“So what if it is?”
“No… you said you couldn’t get Luhuanju right now!”
“I said I couldn’t get enough to sell. I have enough for myself to drink.”
The Luhuanju he was drinking now was sothing Namgung Il had set aside a little when he made the alcohol.
He had set it aside for the purpose of having a quiet drink later, but to think he would use it for such a purpose.
As expected, as soon as he took out the Luhuanju, Old Man Heo's expression changed completely.
‘No matter what I say now, Old Man Heo won’t listen.’
At a glance, he could tell that Old Man Heo was a stubborn person who basically didn't trust people.
Well, since he had lived the life of Shintoo, it was natural that he would have such a personality.
When he was stealing, he was in the position of taking, but when he was storing the stolen goods, he would have been in the position of being taken from, so his nerves would have been extrely sensitive.
“……”
The only existence that such an Old Man Heo opened his heart to was alcohol.
Shintoo and the Dayti Drunkard. Both could be called Old Man Heo.
Namgung Il thought that the Dayti Drunkard side of Old Man Heo would be easier to talk to.
Gulp—.
Namgung Il calmly took another sip of the alcohol.
Old Man Heo watched him anxiously with wide eyes, and in the end, unable to hold back, he shouted at Namgung Il again.
“St-stop drinking!”
“Is there a problem with drinking my own alcohol?”
“……”
“I offered you so earlier, but you said you didn’t need it.”
“……I need it.”
The sound of an ant crawling would be louder than that.
Still, Namgung Il had heard exactly what Old Man Heo had said, but he deliberately asked as if he hadn't heard properly.
“Yes? What did you say?”
“……”
“I can’t hear you if you speak in such a small voice.”
Old Man Heo was lost in thought at that mont.
Whether to protect his pride as Shintoo. Or to follow his instincts as the Dayti Drunkard.
Both were important issues for Old Man Heo, so he couldn't easily make a decision and maintained his silence.
“You’re not answering.”
“……”
“Then I’ll have another sip.”
“W-wait! Let drink that too!”
In the end, Old Man Heo chose instinct over pride.
That's how intense the encounter with Luhuanju had been.
As if he had already forgotten that he was in this state because of Luhuanju, Old Man Heo's mind was filled with only the thought of wanting to drink Luhuanju at least once before he died.
“Alright.”
“Th-then…!”
“I’ll give it to you. But first, you have to listen to my story.”
“Speak quickly!”
Hadn't he just said he had nothing to say to him?
It seed there was no better ans of conversation for a drunkard than alcohol.
“First, let make it clear. I have no intention of selling you off to soone else, nor am I interested in the vault you’ve hidden.”
“……”
“Of course, I have no intention of telling anyone that you are Shintoo.”
As Namgung Il said that, Old Man Heo cald his excitent.
If he had no intention of selling him, and was not even interested in the vault, then why had he captured him here?
As long as he couldn't accept that reason, Old Man Heo could never trust those words.
“Then what on earth do you want from ?”
“……”
“You must want sothing to have captured like this. Don’t beat around the bush and say it clearly.”
Namgung Il had intended to do so from the beginning.
The reason he hadn't been able to do so until now was purely because of Old Man Heo's hasty assumptions, but Namgung Il didn't bother to point that out and just let it go.
“I want to make a deal with you from now on.”
“……A deal?”
“Yes, I will give you what you need. So, you also get what I need.”
Old Man Heo imdiately understood the aning of those words.
To think he would try to get the treasures in the vault in this way.
The matter of him telling the location of the vault and this proposal were completely different issues.
If Namgung Il could really get him what he wanted, Old Man Heo had no particular complaints about this deal.
“I only want one thing. You know what that is, right?”
“You an this?”
Namgung Il shook the bottle in his hand.
The drop of saliva that filled his mouth just by hearing the sound.
Old Man Heo wiped the corner of his mouth with his sleeve and continued to speak.
“Yes, but no matter how much it’s Luhuanju, a considerable amount will be needed to trade with the treasures in my vault.”
“Don’t worry. I can get you as much as you want.”
“How can you guarantee that?”
“That’s…”
A brief silence.
As if he had decided sothing in his heart, Namgung Il continued to speak.
“Because I made this Luhuanju.”
“……What?”
“The ones sold at the Clear Bright Festival were also all made by .”
“……”
Old Man Heo was speechless with a blank face.
Soon, he ca to his senses and shook his head violently, then said to Namgung Il as if to press him.
“That’s a lie! There’s no way you made that alcohol!”
“Why do you think so?”
“The first ti I encountered Luhuanju was more than thirty years ago! But… you’re saying you made it back then?”
No matter how one looked at it, Namgung Il's age did not seem to be over thirty.
But for Namgung Il to have made Luhuanju back then… From the perspective of soone who didn't know the circumstances, it was naturally an incomprehensible matter.
“It seems you’re misunderstanding sothing.”
“……?”
“When did I say I made Luhuanju back then?”
“……What?”
“I just inherited the recipe for Luhuanju and have been making it until now. At that ti, it would have been my master who made it, not .”
Master?
As Old Man Heo beca speechless again with blank eyes, Namgung Il spoke to make it easier to understand.
“In other words, I am the only person in this world who knows the recipe for Luhuanju.”
“……”
“So, no matter how much you search the entire martial world, you won’t be able to get Luhuanju anymore.”
Namgung Il said and approached Old Man Heo.
Just half a gak ago, Old Man Heo had been threatening to commit suicide if he ca closer, but now he was just staring blankly at Namgung Il.
“Only I can get this for you.”
“……”
“And there is also sothing that only you can get for .”
Swoosh—.
“How about it? Will you make a deal with from now on?”
Namgung Il said and held out the bottle containing Luhuanju.
At that mont, the stream of saliva that finally broke through his lips and flowed down.
As if he had no more ti to think, Old Man He-o snatched the bottle.
“Ugh… yes, this was the taste of alcohol!”
“……”
“Is there more?”
“……Of course there is.”
Namgung Il answered with a business smile.
It seed a very useful business partner had been found.
(End of Chapter)
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